ICE
by Sparklebeua
Summary: Kurosaki Karin, a very powerful human with the power to see spirits. Her death day, December 19th, 2010, was caused by Hitsugaya-Taicho. In order to see her brother and all of her other friends that have passed on, she forced Toshiro to perform a konso on her. HitsuKarin and slightly other ships.
1. What a Hateful Encounter

_"Are you ready, Toshiro," I yelled as if it was a battle cry. Lately, a bunch of arrancar have been showing up left and right and the magic user and a few taicho have been sent to the living world to for the purpose of killing the last of the arrancar. Unfortunately, every one of those shinigami and magic users, except for Toshiro, are dead... even my nii-san._

 _"Are you crazy you idiot! You have no power that can allow you to fight, just stay out of this!" Toshiro commanded as he stood on mid-air. I clenched the katana in my hand that I had no real experience with. I was pretty beat up, too. One of my ribs was cracked, my left shoulder was almost dislocated, and I was drenched in blood of my loved ones, comrades, and myself._

 _"Don't worry, Toshiro, I won't fail you this time. This is the last arrancar, so I can't die just yet. I know I will go to the soul society, even if I do, but I swear I won't die," I smiled at him with the realest, easiest-going smile I've ever made._

 _"Don't get too cocky you, bitch," the female arrancar smirked and chuckled. Almost subconsciously, her spiritual pressure began to rise. Rise so much to where it seemed as though there was dozen of millions of gallons of water was left on my shoulder. I yelled out in pain._

 _"Karin!" Toshiro yelled out to me as he reached his hand out, but soon regained the knowledge of an enemy is right in front of us. He grunted in frustration as he pulled out his zanpakuto with a fit of anger, "You bastard!" he shouted as he charged at the arrancar with absolute force._

 _"Oh, be quiet! The human isn't injured, yet," her eyes grew red like a demon and cracked her knuckles, "Shine. Hikarinokyojin," she mumbled to herself as she grippes her zanpakuto._

 _I noticed that Toshiro didn't realize she release her zanpakuto, "Be careful, Toshiro!" I called out to him before he made contact with the arrancar. She smirked with a chuckle and pointed the tip of the zanpakuto towards Toshiro stomach, "No! Toshiro!" I screamed with see Toshiro with a sword in his gut and his attack on slashing her shoulder._

 _"Sit u-upon the frozen Heavens... Hyorinmaru..." he managed to croak out with blood flowing out of his mouth. The zanpakuto in its released state froze the arrancar in her place as moonlight shone off of her frozen corpse._

 _The intense spiritual pressure stopped as soon as it did, I ran to Toshiro's aid, "Don't die, dammit! You can't die!" I yelled as I slowly slid Toshiro's small body off of the blade, trying not to hurt him the best I can, but a expression of unbearable pain was visual._

 _"D-don't worry about-," I stream of pain flowed through his body causing him to hiss in pain, while him grabbing my hand._

 _"Don't talk, it's going to be okay! Just stop talking," I cried out, continuously pulling Toshiro from the blade._

 _"Stop it, dumbass!" he scolded me, "It will take more than that to defeat her, she could break out of that at any second!" I pushed off my hand and I fell on the ground._

 _"More of a reason to get you out of there! If I don't, I know I'm not strong enough to defeat her! You're the only one-" I felt a horrible pain in chest. I coughed awfully and a liquid slid down my neck and chest. "T-Toshiro..." I whispered his name as loud as I could, but it was as loud as a whisper._

 _"Karin...," he quickly slid his own body off the blade, enduring the pain. He turn to face me with eyes of sadness. The life went out of his eyes as he placed his hands on the blood that was located at my collarbone. The zanpakuto was yanked out on my chest, which cause me even more pain. My body went limp and I fell on Toshiro's shoulder and next to cough more blood on Toshiro's flawless white cloak. "You swore you wouldn't die, right, so stay alive, okay?" his voice cracked while embracing me with a hug._

 _I weakly and slowly reached my hand to his head and slammed my hand upon his hair, probably staining it, but I doubt there was even pain, "Dumbass," I whispered to Toshiro as I struggled to sit up, "I will watch you defeat this witch then enter the soul society to see my nii-san, dad, and mom, but you only h-have one chance left," I coughed badly again, "I know I broke my promise, but prom-promise me that you will find me in the soul society, k?" I smiled to Toshiro before he embraced me again, "Happy Birthda..."_

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" I yelled during class as my head wanders off to how I died. I pulled out most of my hair, not realizing that everyone's eyes are on me.

"Excuse me, Kurosaki, if you think this class is so stupid, you can stay for the afternoon at school training nonstop," threatened my sensei with a death glare.

"N-no sir," I stuttered quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. Now everyone was laughing at me. My cheeks turned a light red from embarrassment. I haven't seen Toshiro in twenty years, it's not like I can blame him. After I couldn't pass on, he performed a konso upon me without a word. He looked so depressed and he was drenched in my blood. Even a proportion of his bleach white hair was dark red from me hitting him on the head. When I was about to say something to him, he unexpectedly nudged me in the head with the hilt of his zanpakuto.

The bell rung, signaling it was the end of class and the last class I will ever have. Tomorrow, I will be promoted to be the fukutaicho of squad eleven. When I met my nii-san here a few years ago, he was surprised to see me in the Soul Society, but after I explained everything to him, he hate Toshiro ever since that day.

"Remember class, meet with your taicho immediately after class. Squads one through seven is to report to the meeting hall and squads eight to thirteen is to meet in the combat classroom for upperclassmen," our sensei reminded us.

"Yes, sensei!" we all replied in unison as we gathered our zanpakutos and other necessaries needed for class. I walked through the halls filled with students, females wearing red and males wearing blue. I hurried to the combat room on the other side of the school.

I walked in the classroom, one of the biggest classrooms to be exact, and ran towards my red headed nii-san. Right next to him was squad ten with Hitsugaya Toshiro as their captain.

"Toshiro..." I paused in my traces to gave at Hitsugaya-Taicho. He has gotten a bit taller since the last time I saw him, something that stood out was the blood stain that lies in his pure white hair. _I-is that my blood...?_ I asked myself as I stared at my hand, remembering how I touched Toshiro's hair.

"You kept your promise, huh?" I held my fist to my chest to show how touched I was to know he didn't die.

"Karin! Come over here," called out Ichigo, breaking my train of thoughts. I raced to Ichigo's side as his fukutaicho.

A man examined me as though I was the results of a test, "So this is the new fukutaicho? It looks like she got a thing for Hitsugaya-Taicho," the man smirked, "That's a forbidden relationship, ain't it Taicho?"

My face turned bright red at the mention of Toshiro, "I have no feelings for Toshiro, it's just..." I trailed off and set my sights for Toshiro.

"She got it bad, she's even calling the taicho by his first name," teased the man while the other members laughed. I rolled my eyes at the man's comment.

The blush on my cheeks darkened to a ruby red, "If you must know, Toshiro and I had a friendly partnership while I was alive. Also, I'm the one who caused his hair to turn red..." I mumbled absentmindedly.

"Dammit! I'm tired of hearing this crap!" yelled Ichigo, but just loud enough for our squad to hear.

"Sorry, nii-san," I crossed my arms with a little of an attitude. I stared at the floor to avoid eye contact with Ichigo.

"That's Kurosaki-Taicho, to you," glared Ichi-nii.

I rolled my eyes again, "Sorry, Kurosaki-Taicho."

* * *

After the meeting:

I ran towards Toshiro with a remorseful smile, "Tos-Hitsugaya-Taicho!" I called out to white haired man who looked to be about fifteen, but was nowhere near that age. The only thing that changed about me is my hair, it has grown a lot so I wear it like Rangiku-San.

Toshiro turned around to face me, "Oh, Karin," he greet casually. The way he looked at me, a look of hate, the same look he gave me all those years ago.

"Taicho, I-I need to ap-" I stuttered, but Toshiro started to walk away, "Hey, where are you going?!" I called out to his back. The cloak of his squad had blood stain throughout the sheer white threading. He stopped in his tracks, "Why do you continue to wear clothing that has painful memories etched into it?" I asked while scanning his hair and cloak.

"I've also had good memories within this cloak," he answered with a dull tone, like usual.

"I-I-" my smile grew as I continued to talk with Toshiro, him but Toshiro cut me off.

"I had those type of feelings for you, too, but that was a long time ago that I prefer to stay that way," Toshiro retorted with a bland and anger voice.

"You prefer it to stay that way, eh?" I mumbled before running off, almost in tears. _Why do I love him, dammit!_ ncst94bwy7ant;8icvsucghw7n8-yaghpi4;ctha93[se


	2. Fukutaicho Switch

_I run through an endless vortex with nine taicho at my side. Then more join, Kurosaki, Inoue, Sado, and Ishida. Soon, Karin shows by my side, too. I scolded her for appearing to, but it seems like she can't hear me. I ignore it and continue running with the fourteen people. Kurosaki says something I couldn't hear before everyone except Karin is turned into ashes and I still run. Suddenly Karin smiles at me with ashes still in the air._

 _Then, I am at the scene of Karin's death. December 19th, 2010, I remember seeing my dearest friend die in my hand. No matter how much I tell her to stay away from me, she appears at my side with a smile. No matter how many times I tell her I can't protect her, she fights along side me... No matter how many times I yell and glare at her, she's... always right by my side. No matter..._

I see her mouth move, but no words are heard, just tears and blood... I hold her close, not caring about what she's saying. I heard her voice, her last words, "Happy birthday..." that's right, tomorrow is the day when I was born. It's suppose to be a celebration for my existence, isn't it? Is this my gift for only giving her suffering and her giving me happiness? What is that piercing sound in the air? Is... it me?

I sit up frightened of what this dream was. I haven't understood it, yet. It's the same one that has been haunting me for the last twenty years, but I have no idea why it is haunting me. I feel this sting in my eyes. Karin... should I even call her by her first name. Kurosaki? No, it doesn't feel right. Karin... that name gives me guilt. It haunts me with its vile ways. I feel angry now, but why? I have an uncontrollable rage to kill the cause of my suffering. Who is it though? Is... it me?

"Taicho!" yelled Matsumoto with her fist pounding on my door, "The Sotaicho waits to have a meeting with you and Kurosaki-Taicho!" she chirped through the door. I have a bad feeling about this little meeting.

I forcibly push myself out of bed to look into a mirror that is right across from the mattress. I gaze at my blood stained hair, that color gives me so much fear. It reminds me of how I was not about to protect Karin when Karin was protecting me. My hands that are placed on the sheets clench the silk fabric with anger. Karin, she's the new fukutaicho of squad eleven, isn't she? I can't bare to look at her face, let alone hear her voice. It make my heart have this desire to break down right there.

Yesterday, I caused her to cry again. Just like the day she died, she cried because of what I did. Because of my actions, I wasn't able to save her from pain. Worst, that pain was caused by me, dammit!

"I can't pout about this know..." I muttered under my breath, but that didn't help me from hating myself. After my ten minute routine of getting myself ready for anything that comes my way - except for this meeting - I grabbed my haori and walked outside of the complex of squad ten. I locked my room door that has captain carved into the door. I walked down to the lower floor where all the squad members and the fukutaicho's apartments are located to find Matsumoto in her room already drunk.

"Oh... *hiccup* hello Hitsugaya-Kun," he continuously giggled. I rolled my eyes and wonder how she could get this drunk in ten minutes.

"Matsumoto you need to sober up!" I yelled at her, but that didn't stop her from laughing every second and clapping her hand like an idiot, "Matsumoto!" I growled at her. I flash stepped towards her and threw her limp body on the floor, "Are you sober yet? Or do I have to throw you off of the railing of the complex?" I glared at her.

Matsumoto lie lifeless on the floor with her face in the wooden flooring, "I'm very sober, now, Taicho," she muffled through the flooring. I rolled my eyes again and walked over her body and exited the room.

"Come on, we must get going," I said with a strict voice. She struggled to stand on her own two feet from dizziness from that throw I gave her, but she caught up with me quickly, "You use your flash step, right?" I asked the fukutaicho.

She barely nod, but she replied with a gesture of yes, "Then let's hurry," I flashed stepped a kilometer away with Matsumoto right behind me. Then another kilometer and another until we were at the meeting hall.

At the door of the meeting hall was Kurosaki-Taicho, "Toshiro," he mocked me with an ice cold glare, but I gave him the same stare back.

"It's Hitsugaya, Kurosaki," I growled at him in return. Kurosaki place his hand on his zanpakuto and so did I. I heard sighs from both Karin and Matsumoto, but we both continued to glared at each other.

"Can you two stop it?!" Matsumoto yelled at us, "Just because you hate each other doesn't mean you have to act like wild dogs whenever you see each other!" She scolded us.  
"Rangiku-San is right! You both are acting like immature children who do not deserve the title of taicho," Karin started to butt in, "I kinda expected this from Ichi- I mean Kurosaki-Taicho, but not from you, Tos- I mean Hitsugaya-Taicho," she addressed us.

Kurosaki and I both rolled our eyes and backed off of our zanpakutos, "Fine, for now, Kurosaki," I glared at kurosaki with an ice cold tone.

"Same to you, Toshiro," he mimicked me, but with a smirk that give me a bad vibe. I shrugged it off and walked into the meeting room behind Kurosaki and Karin who walked in first. First thing I notice in the room is that Hinamori was sitting there with a smile.

"Hello, Shiro-Chan and Kurosaki-Taicho! Also hello, Kurosaki-Fukutaicho and Matsumoto-Fukutaicho!" she greet with a cheery voice. She closed her eyes like there was no care in the world and smiled like this was the happiest moment of her life.

"H-Hinamori!?" I stuttered with surprise to know that she's apart of this mission, also.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kurosaki before I had the chance to. Kurosaki and I share the same look and a questionable one at that to know why Hinamori is here. We and our fukutaicho took our places in front of the Sotaicho.

"As you are probably already wondering why Hinamori is here," started the Sotaicho, "In this particular mission, Hinamori's shikai will come in handy. As you probably already guessed, the shikai and bankai of the Hinamori Clan can cut through clear types of elements. In this case, Hinamori's shikai can burn through air and sound," Sotaicho finished.

"So we're dealing with an air and sound zanpakuto wielder?" asked Karin.

"Yes, in a way. You see, our enemies are taichos from when I was just beginning to be a taicho myself. This will carry on for four weeks. If you do not complete the mission in that time, let's jut say all four of you will be in worst conditions then Kisuke," threatened the Yamamoto, "And you have to do this together!" he growled.

"Yamamoto-Sotaicho, this is stupid. Taichos do not complete their missions all the time and they are not penalized for it, so why are we?" Kurosaki replied.

"For once we agree on something. You said that taicho are all treated equally no matter if one taicho is stronger than another," I reminded him, but that seemed to have no effect on his judgement.

The Sotaicho sighed, "This is different. Because of your hatred for each other, you both are unable to fight as one, including your squads since they have such little contact with each other. In result of this problem, our forces have become weak and that puts the Soul Society in danger," he explained.

"And for other reasons, we are giving you contact with squad four and especially Orihime-Taicho of squad four. Back to the mission, you first opponent you will make contact is Shin Mamou-Taicho of squad twelve. In his previous years he was a master at combine two zanpakutos into one to make himself strong and his zanpakuto, Oninuotyu - the Sound Demon of Zanpakutos - is able to shatter your brain with a sound wave from one slash. In bankai, it can destroy as big as an area of the Seireitei," briefed Yamamoto.

All four of us winced at the information given to us, "H-how are we intended to defend against that?" Karin stammered, "Yamamoto-Sotaicho, if this guy is as crazy powerful as you suggest, then n-none of our power is able to get pass that, well except for Hinamori-San," she interpreted, and she's completely right.

"This is where me and Orihime-Taicho come in, we will be on defence the whole time with her Santen Kesshun and me with my technique of cutting air. Also, every other member of squad four will be healing the ones that we couldn't defend," Hinamori explained.

"I thought one you got hit with that, you die," Kurosaki bellowed.

Hinamori shook her head with a playful smile, "Don't you think a zanpakuto like that is too good? The only flaw in his blade is that it takes ten seconds for you to die," Hinamori crossed her arms with a smirk.

"Since when does healing kido work that fast?" I asked with a suspicious look.

"Don't worry about that Shiro-Chan we just need to get the job done," Hinamori pushed me from my back out of the room without notice.

"Stop it, Hinamori!" I yelled at her, but she still kept on that playful look like she was hiding something and still dragging me out the door.

"Hey, Hitsugaya-Kun!" Matsumoto called while catching up to me.

Karin sighed at Matsumoto and Hinamori's actions, "We will start the mission tomorrow, if that okay with you," she shouted before grabbing Kurosaki's hand and following us.

Dumbfound, the Sotaicho said, "Okay, and Hinamori, tell them the rest," Yamamoto reminded her.

"Yes, Sotaicho!" she shouted before exiting the meeting hall still pushing me out the door with Matsumoto, Karin, and Kurosaki following us. When we were out of the meeting hall, Hinamori cheered like it was no big deal, "You will exchange fukutaicho for the duration of this mission and I'll be on squad ten for the mission, also," she said proudly.

"I don't care about that I just want to know-!" I cut myself off after processing what Hinamori said, "We're trading fukutaicho?" I asked her again.

"T-that's insane! Toshiro can't protect Karin at all, let alone the both of you!" Kurosaki vociferated at the idea.

"Say that again, Kurosaki," I glared at him.

"I said you can't protect Hinamori or Karin, depending on how you let Karin die, pipsqueak," he taunted back.

"I can protect whatever the hell is in my way much more better than you can, and don't call me pipsqueak when I have fifty years on you," I growled back.

"It could be one hundred years and you would be a pebble compared to me," he insulted.

"Want to test that theory?" I challenged.

"Anytime, anywhere-," he was cut off by Karin.

"You idiots! This is exactly why we're on this mission! You two are taichos and this is the exact opposite of what taicho should be. You're childish, petty, and arguing over something that happened twenty years ago! Shut up!" she barked at us like an angry dog as she slammed down her foot to show her point.

"Stay out of this!" we yelled at the same time while we tried to get a lick at each other while Matsumoto and Hinamori held up back, even though we could get them to back off at anytime we wanted.

Matsumoto held me back while trying to convince me this isn't the time, "Taicho, you need to stop! The old you wouldn't be engaged in this type of behavior. I know you want to prove that Kurosaki-Fukutaicho is save in your hands and prove to yourself you're strong enough, but this isn't the way to do it."

I stopped taunting Kurosaki and looked at him who backed down, too. Without knowing why Kurosaki stopped, I sighed and turned the other way, "Come Kurosaki and Hinamori," I commanded as I walked away back to my own squad's headquarters.

"C'mon, Matsumoto," Kurosaki commanded then crossed his arms and waited for the the red head fukutaicho. Karin and Hinamori followed me through the halls of the main building in the Seireitei.

Somewhere along the way to the squad then headquarters Karin asked, "Hitsugaya-Taicho, why do and my brother don't get along like you used to?" she asked shyly, "You never did get along, but it wasn't like you tried to fight every time you shall each other."

I stayed quiet for a second, think of what Matsumoto said, " _I know you want to prove that Kurosaki-Fukutaicho is save in your hands and prove to yourself you're strong enough..._ " I quoted in my head. _I guess Kurosaki is telling me I'm too weak if I want to protect Karin._

"We both want to prove something to each other," I simply answered with a sigh. Hinamori giggled a bit while I knew that Karin was confused.

Karin hesitantly asked, "Prove what?"

I sighed once again, _Karin if you only knew..._

* * *

"This is stupid! We had to be on this mission while Karin was the fukutaicho," I said out loud to myself.

 _It's not like you can stop it, it's the Sotaicho's orders. It's just your lucky, today. By the way, what's with that Kurosaki girl? I know you've had a bad past with her, but when you was talking to her, a burning rage was building up into you_ , asked Hyorinmaru.

I sighed at his question, "I feel angry at myself for not protecting Karin and every time I see her or hear her voice, it just makes me hate myself," I replied.

 _Ah, just like with that Hinamori girl_ , he compared.

I thought for a hard second, "Maybe, but I feel an even more burning rage. Maybe it's because she actually died and Hinamori didn't, or maybe something else," I hopped in my bed and stared at the ceiling, observing the dots and designs in it.

 _I hope you can figure it out soon, Toshiro,_ wished Hyorinmaru.

"I hope you're right," I mumbled before soaring into my same nightmare once again.


	3. That Morning

"So this is my new room for the month, eh?" the new fukutaicho of squad ten asked another member of squad ten who helped her move into Rangiku room.

"Exactly, Matsumoto-Fukutaicho's room can be a little mess and you soul find sake all over the place, so make sure to be careful if you're an alcoholic," warned Yukimaru-San.

"Don't worry about that, I haven't had a drop of sake in my lifetime nor my last lifetime," I reassured, "Thank you, Yukimaru-San," Karin thanked.

"Don't thank me, I'm just following Taicho's orders," a red blush came to his cheek as he held the back of his hand with his right hand.

She sighed at what he had said, _Taicho's orders.._ , "I wish he would have done it himself," she mumbled absentmindedly to myself with a disappointed face, soon she put back on her happy façade and bid farewell to Yukimaru-San, "Well, again thanks for the help, I'll see ya round, bye Yukimaru-San."

She slam the door before Yukimaru had a chance to say goodbye in frustration, "I swear, no one wants me to live in peace!" she yelled like a child wanting her toy back, "Toshiro is the reason I died. I died protect him from that arrancar maybe that's the reason," she thought outloud, again.

She sighed before crying out again, "Why the hell am I even thinking our this mess in the first place!" she plopped herself on the soft bed of Rangiku after putting on a huge, gray shirt that ended at the beginning of her thigh for sleepwear. It smelled of sake and men, if Karin didn't know better, she would have though Rangiku was a part time prostitute. She sighed before closing her eyes and falling asleep into what seem like a future for her and this mission.

* * *

The next morning, Karin woke up in a panic as her dream and her memory of it fades from her head, not know what it was, or why she panicked. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get what she calls - sleep flakes - out of her eyes, then to be greeted by an alarm from her alarm clock that signalled it was time to get up. In surprise of the loud noise in the morning, she lost her balance and fell face first into the wooden floor.

"My face! My face!" she shrieked as she rolled around the room in agony, massaging her face before yelling. After a few seconds of rolling, an intense spiritual pressure came from the room above and the only room that is up there is the taicho's room. After putting on her uniform and getting her zanpakuto for a second, she rushed to Toshiro's room in a panic.

"Toshiro!" she yelled absentmindedly before busting through the door. Soon, she regretted being worried that something happened. There was Hitsugaya Toshiro half naked with thin boxer shorts.

Toshiro stared coldly at her flushed face like she was a manic, "What is it, Kurosaki?" he glared. Karin's face made a new color of red with her jaw dropped open. She soon caught herself and turned her head to look at the door frame instead, "Well..." he urged her.

Karin winced a little and shifted her gaze at the floor and pushed the tips of her fingers together, "I'm sorry, Toshiro, It's just that spiritual pressures was building up, so I thought you were attacked or something and...and...and," she trailed off, but her blush grew and grew until her whole body was was red.

"Hey are you okay?" Toshiro reach his hand out to the poor girl, but that made her wince at the sight of him in his underwear only. Her body turned a dark red than it already was, which surprised Toshiro. She started to run out of the apartment thinking she was going to explode and might even make a move on him.

 _Damn these perverted thought! I was about to... Damn you, Hitsugaya Toshiro!,_ she thought while cowering into her own room with her whole body redder than a tomato and crying tears and for God to put mercy on her soul. Meanwhile, Toshiro looked that the door who Karin slammed in a dumbfounded and annoyed way. "What the hell was her problem?" he asked no one in particular.

Soon Hyornimaru's voice popped in Toshiro's head, _I don't blame her look at yourself_

Toshiro looked in the mirror on the apartment door and he finally realized that he was half naked in front of a "teenage" girl. The blush on his face rose a little think about what could go on in that mind of her's.

 _What impure thought_ , commented Hyorinmaru.

Toshiro shuddered at Hyorinmaru's remark. He shook off the dirty things in his mind and growled, "Shut up!" at the voice of his zanpakuto. Hyorinmaru materialized at Toshiro's will as a small blue dragon, which in fact he was much bigger than that.

"Hey! Why am I small?!" Hyorinmaru complained while throwing a fit.

Toshiro looked at the dragon with eyes of hate, "Because you're in a room, and can't poke your nose in my thoughts like that!" Toshiro grabbed the blue dragon by it's stomach and threw it to the wall on the other side of the room in a fit of rage.

Hyorinmaru's eyes widened in fear to think that he will be as flat as a pancake from the impact once he hits that wall, and that exactly what happened.

Toshiro stood out of his bed and walked to the bathroom, "I'm to take a shower and don't look through my head," he threatened before allowing him to disappear into dust while the dragon rubbed his head in pain.

After Toshiro's ten minute ritual that I'm sure you want to know nothing about, he exited the taicho's quarters to drag Kurosaki and Hinamori out of their rooms and to squad ten's meeting hall. The closest room was Karin's room, so obviously he went her door first. With a hand at the door knob, he hesitantly debated to open it or not. His mind thought back to the moment when she busted into his room.

 _What if those thoughts start up in my mind again? Or maybe if I walk in on her and she's still in a towel or something?_ Thoughts like these swelled into his then even a few perverted thoughts. He shook off those thoughts and switched to knocking at the door.

With two knocks, he announced, "I'm coming in," and tinkered with the knob and opened the door.

"Toshiro, I just got out of the shower!" she complained from the bathroom and ran to the door with a towel on her head. Her shinigami uniform was out of place and hanging off her right shoulder and showed a little cleavage, but nothing that I'm not used to, "You maybe able to clean up in a few minutes, but I'm a girl. It takes at least half an hour for us to get ready!" she explained like she was about to slap me for being foolish.

I sighed, "Whatever, just hurry up and meet me and Hinamori in ten minutes. And it's Hitsugaya," Toshiro commanded as cold as ever, which didn't surprise Karin in the least.

Karin shook her head and crossed her arms in disappointment, shaking off the towel to the floor, but Karin didn't care, "You're still caught up in your name. Well since we're friends, you call me Karin and I'll call you Toshiro," she smiled at me while holding out her hand as a sign of friendship.

At first, he was going to disagree, but her smile taunted and urged him to take her hand. He hesitantly took her hand, "Fine, but only when we're not doing something that relates to shinigami work, like a restaurant,...Karin" a flush of embarrassment made it's way to his face while looking away from her.

"Of course, Toshiro," she smiled brighter. She brought down her hand and informed, "I'll be at the bottom of the building in a few minutes, I just need to fix up myself," she dug her right hand into her wet strands of hair, slinging droplets of water onto the floor.

"Just be down there," replied Toshiro, back to his usual self.

Karin replied with a disappoint tone, "That sure took you a short time to convert back into your cold self," Toshiro turned around to face Karin with a smirk, "You're full of it, Toshiro, see ya in a few minutes," she smiled back, satisfied with her results and turned on her heel into the room to fix herself up.

Toshiro envisioned the countless times when he endanger Karin and Hinamori. the countless times when they ended up with a sword through their gut, he tensed up with a look of determination. Karin and Hinamori have gotten hurt too many times because of me. _I need to get stronger and prove to myself that I'm strong enough to protect them. And... make sure Hinamori and Karin's fate doesn't turn into Karin's death scene_ , he vowed to himself, _I must protect them..._

* * *

After getting Hinamori, Toshiro and Momo waited her Karin to show up, "Toshiro, Momo-San!" called Kurosaki Karin. Hinamori looked at Karin with a concerned looked and back at Hitsugaya, knowing the taicho will scold Karin for using his first name.

"Come you, we're almost late. The rest of the squad is already at the headquarters just to welcome you two," he scolded Karin for being a little late. Hinamori was surprised when Toshiro payed no attention to Karin calling him by his first name.

"Taicho, how come you didn't scold her for using your first name," Hinamori immediately asked while Karin was at a distance enough for her not to hear the conversation. Hinamori notice the way he looked at Karin, like he really cared for her. He studied her every step for moments.

Suddenly, Toshiro answered, "Because she and I made a deal. In friendly situations, I'll call her Karin and she'll call me Toshiro," he pathetically smiled at her. Momo's eyes widen with shock, _h-he actually smiled_ , she thought to herself, _that girl is really amazing._

She watched in awe to see how Karin handled all of Toshiro's attempts to act like the leader he is, but she would comment back with a smile and laugh and Toshiro would get angry then smirk and threaten her in some playful way.

"Come, Momo-San," Karin commanded while pulling her hand to follow Toshiro and herself. Hinamori put on a façade of happiness and laugh while listening to Karin's outgoing personality talk for her. Hinamori looked at her in awe. _She's actually breaking down Shiro-Chan of all people, not even I could do that... make him smile like that._


	4. The First Move

"Pierce! Jikanousama!" Karin shouted out. Her sheer, silver katana turned golden that had black colored craving that had the shape wings in it. At the end of the blade was a scythe that seemed to be an illusion as it just passed through Karin without giving her a scar.

"Wait, why am I fighting right now?" she asked Hitsugaya for the second time. Hitsugaya just sighed and folded his arm. Hinamori smiled at Karin and Toshiro while the other members sweatdropped at their pointless arguement. _I'm glad you have found someone to protect, because I can't be around here anymore. Aizen-Sama, I will find you. This hair piece proves it, as white as bone underneath._

"Because, to lead them, you must gain their trust. I would be pretty pissed if some middle school girl who just got out of the academy become second in command," he glared at her. Karin scoffed at his remark, but it was unheard from her taking a stance to the third spot of squad ten, Amaru Haruo.

"Slash! Kasaiuoma!" Amaru held out his blade to point towards Karin and the katana was enveloped in blue flames. The katana transformed into a bigger katana with flames circling it. The fire gave off a shady heat to where almost everyone winced. Karin glared at the taunting blade and tensed up at the sight of it rein. It was like a fire god as pierced her soul a hundred times over.

Amaru was the first to charge against Karin, but Karin overpowered him and sent him back a few feet. Karin pointed the beautiful blade towards the heated blade and the same happened the other way around.

 _At least strength wise, I'm stronger_ , she thought in her head as sweat slides down her face from the heat of her opponent's. This time it was her turned to charge. Karin used flash step and almost teleported her way behind her. She quickly slashed his back, but her blade was blocked my blue flames that was not easy to penetrate. She drew herself back to dodge the blue flame before it was caught on her shinigami uniform and glared that the blue flames that slowly disintegrated into thin air. _So that's how he covers his blindspot._

She flash stepped into thin air before whispering to herself, "Jikan Monogatari," she pointed her katana down towards her, slashing his shoulder with a deep wound. Now, he was frozen in the time before with only memories to keep him alive.

She took another slash at him to finish him, but the blue flames appeared every time her sword was to cause it's master a gash. She repeatedly continued this process, of slashing him and as she does, a blue flame barrier appears. Frustrated, she thinks, _Damn, this barrier appears even when he is stuck in time._ Finally, her sword clashes with the blue flames again, but this time, she forces her sword through the flames to attempt to have at least a scratch on him. She penetrates the barrier with brute force and penetrates his skin, but not as deep as the gash on his shoulder. _Hell yah!_ Next, she drags the blade from his mid-stomach to his collarbone and even slashed as little of his chin by accident.

Karin frees him from the barriers of time and before he knows what happened, he was kicked to the ground by Karin and blood gushed out of mouth. All the men in room looked at Karin with fear. To see how easily she defeated their from Haruo without breaking a sweat, though that was an understatement. She smiled at the Amaru with a toothy grin and helped him up.

"Sorry, about that, I'll heal you up," Karin offered while hovering her hand over his shoulder and used Kaidō to heal his wound. A warm green light appeared in her hand as Amaru seem to loosen up from the tense pain, and same was with his upper body and chin.

When Karin was finished healing Amaru, she commented, "You're very powerful," she smiled, "If your strength was a little bit higher, I would have lost for sure," she finished wrapping up the last wound on his body. Amaru's face lit up to a pink color as she took care of his injures she cause. In the background, all the men looked at Karin like she was an angel and some even wanted their asses handed to them just so they can get that attention by a girl.

Of course, Toshiro and Hinamori knew it was all an act. Who ever was familiar with Karin knew she is not this sweet. She probably just has a guilty conscience or something, but she certainly wasn't this kind to anyone she doesn't feel sorry for kicking their asses, for example, her dad. "She isn't serious, is she?" Hinamori asked Toshiro while they watch every guy in the room begging for Karin to fight them.

"I'm afraid she is," Toshiro replied with a pissed off face that this squad is even more pathetic than when Rangiku is here, and she would seduce them all. They looked like they were in heaven, but soon, they didn't know they were about to be in a living hell. Next thing that happened was Karin knocked all of them out one by one using flash step without lending a hand after. After all, Toshiro made her fight Amura and the others are just plain annoying.

"What a pain in the ass," she said out loud while sliding her hands against each other, trying to shake off the "dirt" that was on her hands from knocking the men out. "You guys are pathetic, how can you let me behind you so easily?" she insulted them. Amaru's flushed face turned into a shocked white-eyed one.

Toshiro's express was priceless to see his squad taken out by a signal woman. Even though they probably let her knock them out, he couldn't believe that was _his_ squad. _At least no one was here to see this, right?_ He spoke too soon. Kurosaki-Taicho, Rangiku, Inoue-Taicho, and her fukutaicho, Hanataro.

"What happened here?" Orihime asked as she walks through the door with Hanataro by her side. She looked at all the squad members except for Toshiro, Hinamori, Karin, and Amaru, on the floor with red faces.

"It seem squad ten has been drinking a lot lately, Orihime-Sama" inferred Hanataro. Soon, Ichigo and Rangiku made their way into the headquarters.

Kurosaki laughed at the state of Toshiro's squad, "Did something kill your pathetic squad?" he laughed out loud and pointed at the men at the floor that Karin was victorious over. Toshiro's nerves increased and Karin and Hinamori knew this was dangerous.

"Taicho, maybe there's another reason for these. Like Yamada-Fukutaicho suggested, maybe they just were drunk and passed out," Rangiku indicated, even though she highly doubt that.

"Hey, Ichi-Nii!" called Karin with a wave of hello and a causal expression, "You would not believe the day I had," Karin swung her arms behind and locked her arms on the back of her neck without a care in the world. As soon as Karin had said that, Toshiro reflected on what happened that day.

 _First Karin busted into my room. Then I had the most perverted thoughts on what could have happened. Next I- wait what will she tell them what happened this morning._ Heat began to rise to his face _, and when Karin looked like a hussy at the door, what will happen then. They'll hold this over my head for at least the next month._

"Taicho!" yelled Rangiku. Karin was whispering what happened that morning to Rangiku, and everyone knows what happens when Rangiku hears gossip. Matsumoto went to pat Toshiro on the back, and Toshiro was not amused. "I knew you were very mature for your age, but this take mature to the next level," Rangiku had the most happiest smile ever while continuing to pat his back and Toshiro made that face when he's mad, but it always looked like he was a child who was mad he got his toy taken away from him.

"I have no idea what you mean," Toshiro replied while he caught Rangiku's hand which stopped her from patting him. Toshiro glared at his former fukutaicho with a "what-the-hell" look.

"Seriously, you don't know..." Rangiku looked around to make sure nobody was listening in on their conversation before she used that forbidden word, "The talk," sounds from Rangiku's imaginary place did the classic "du-du-dun!"

"Of course I had the talk, but that can't happen in the Soul Society, we're already dead so there's no use in making new life," Toshiro argued and tried to push Rangiku out of his face.

Rangiku drew back herself and stood with a firm position to her point, "No no no, Taicho. That is still possible in the Soul Society. Why do you think Kyoraku-Taicho was still very interested in the female human body?" Rangiku reasoned.

Toshiro rolled his eyes, "How should I know, I don't go snooping in the life of a pervert," Toshiro remarked, "Anyway, why are talking about this?" Toshiro looked like he could destroy the Soul Society just because he was pissed off at everyone's idiotic actions and with this famous Rangiku talk has spiked up his nerves, next he'll have to deal with Kurosaki.

"Because, Karin told me that it was almost like you were inviting her in. Didn't you think it was weird when she was all red," Rangiku whispered in his ear. Toshiro was even angrier and was ready to kill somebody.

"Matsumoto!"

* * *

After that little Rangiku talk, Karin got right back to business. "Okay! Now back to the important stuff, there's some crazy powerhouse out there that is taking control of dead former taicho. We need a strategy," Karin pointed out the obvious.

"The problem is how do we take him out, and after these first twelve, he might even bring back all the late taicho," Kurosaki inferred. Toshiro tensed when he heard Kurosaki's inference.

"We can not allow the enemy to tamper with our old friend's graves!" Orihime declared, "We made those graves so they could pass on, but what would happen if..." Orihime's anger grew rapidly and also her spiritual pressure. The plants around them grew with her anger.

"Orihime, calm down," Kurosaki commanded calmly while patting her shoulder. While Orihime calmed down, Kurosaki continued the conversation, "Orihime's right, if we do nothing, then the former taicho would have died for nothing."

Karin spoke, "Then we should tighten security around the graves of higher ranking shinigami," Karin suggested.

"It seem like that's the only way, but since he already have a few previous taicho, there's a very slim chance that at least one will come back alive," ponder on Karin's idea. Karin sighed, she knew that Hanataro, Orihime, or Toshiro would find a way to turn her ideas against her. Karin leaned back in her chair while the tension slowly died down. _Why do taicho have to be so serious?_

Suddenly, a high spiritual pressure filled the air, shocking all present, even some of the squad ten members started to wake up because of the spirit energy. "I-Is that a hollow?" Karin shrieked knowing the answer to her question. The air shook as clashes of weak spirit energy spread between the high spiritual pressure.

Toshiro shook his head, "This pressure is too strong for it to be a hollow or an arrancar, it's the spirit energy of a taicho, a very strong one at that," with the last of Toshiro's words, all seven of them leaped into action after telling Amaru to stay here with the men. They flash stepped to the scene to find the source of the power. There it was, standing proud to all the world.

"D-dad?" karin stuttered to see a body similar to her father's. Kurosaki stood there with shock and so did the rest. All of them had strong connections to Kurosaki-Taicho of squad ten to where all of them hesitated to attack him.

"Oh, I see you all have grown a lot. Let's see if your power has grown with yourselves," Isshin raised Engetsu to the group, "Ban...kai..." he whispered.


	5. Into the Human World

"Ban...Kai," he whispered softly while his zanpakuto charged itself of power. The taicho and fukutaicho tensed by the sight of his power.

"Bankai!" yelled Toshiro, Orihime, and Ichigo. Toshiro's Hyorinmaru transformed into a dragon that sat on his back. Ichigo's clothing transformed into his usual Hakama that was tighten around his arms, his black katana, and his haori stayed the same. Orihime's bankai was a fan that was decorated with sakura designs and a traditional katana. A rose lied over her eye and thorny vines swirled from the rose to the sides of her face.

"Pierce! Jikanousama!"

"Growl! Hinako!"

"Fullfil! Hisagomaru!"

Everyone prepared their zanpakuto's for battle against Kurosaki Isshin. No one wanted to fight him, but in order to protect the Seireitei and not end up like Urahara, they must defeat him. He died shamelessly in the battle against the arrancar and know he was fighting shamelessly against his former comrades. What a twist?

Suddenly, the charge in power was lagging and his limbs moved without his consent. He struggled to keep the power of his bankai to it's greatest strength. He cursed, "Damn, I need to test them," he growled to what seemed like an invisible person. The seven high ranking shinigami let their guards down a bit as the observed Isshin unknown struggled. All of Isshin's limbs was paralyzed for a moment, then he started to run away to the human world's gates. Karin went after her father, wanting to know what happened.

Karin flash stepped to her father's location and so did all the others. Karin continued to flash step to the gates of the living world, "Karin!" yelled out Toshiro, but Karin didn't listen at all, she when through the portal and into the Dangai. Everyone of the shinigami that accompanied her followed her into the Dangai, too.

After they safely made it past the Kototsu, the entered the world of the living. Isshin has disappeared from Karin's sight without a trace of spiritual pressure. Karin clenched her fist with anger. When she couldn't contain the anger anymore, she screamed out into the air, wailing and crying into the morning air. The others just sat back and watch Karin in pity. Momo looked the most guilt of all of them. She knew who was behind this, but thanks to her promise to Aizen, she is not allowed to make any gesture or signal that she knew who the culprit was.

Toshiro was about to comfort her, but Kurosaki held his shoulder and shook his head, indicating that they should just let her get her anger out. Toshiro gave a half-hearted sigh and stared at Karin's back as she wailed with anger. Yamada and Orihime exchanged looks as if their eyes could speak to each other. Orihime broke the gaze between her and her fukutaicho the stared at the air they walked on. She observed the plants and sensed their sadness. The screams of this girl could bring anyone sadness.

"Orihime, there's a good chance that the enemy lead us here, check if we can opened the Senkaimon," Kurosaki commanded.

"Ayame," she sadly called her zanpakuto. Her zanpakuto's shikai state was a silver sword with thorny vines wrapped around it. Orihime stood the sword into the air and twisted it as if it was a key, but nothing happened.

"As I thought," Kurosaki mumbled to himself, "It is twenty years after we died, most of the people we know are still alive. But most of them already knows about shinigami," Kurosaki thought out loud. While Orihime and Ichigo was trying to find out a way to get out of this sticky situation, Toshiro's guilt grew much more. He didn't know why he felt guilty, it was as if his job was to make sure Karin didn't cry anymore, but he couldn't fulfil his duty to her.

Karin calmed down a little after screaming her head off and collapsed on the air ground. Rangiku, Hinamori, and Yamada could only watch in horror what this mission will do to Karin. The pain she is now is because of her father. He was killed trying to protect Karin and he left her in Toshiro's hands. Toshiro grabbed her hand which caused her to look at him with curiosity. He could stand to see her red, swollen, bloodshot eyes. Her face was red from crying too much and there was no smile to fill his day with happiness.

"Karin, we are going to take down the guy who is messing with your father, but you have to hold on a little longer," Toshiro declared. He couldn't blame her for feeling this way. Isshin died to save her. It was like when Karin died to save Toshiro, and you know how he felt.

"Toshiro..." she whispered in agony before embracing his body with a hug while fighting back the whimpers and wails that is forcing itself through her throat. Her eyes watered more and more each second her body wouldn't let go of Toshiro. Toshiro looked at the sunset that illuminated the sky with orange and pink. _This is the view of the sky, huh?_

"Toshiro!" called the voice of Kurosaki, "Make sure she's okay, we're going to go to Urahara's shop to get the gigai," Kurosaki informed before all of them disappeared, Hinamori with the most concerned look. He ignored it and focused back on Karin. Finally, the war in her mouth was won back the wailing and sadness. Toshiro looked at her with more concern than ever.

"I don't want it," she managed to mumbled out through her crying, "If shinigami work is going to be this painful, I don't want," she dug her face deeper into his chest to smell the scent of evergreen, "Is it always going to be this hard,...Toshiro?" the she said his name with much sadness broke his cold heart. It was the same feeling when this red streak was left in his silver hair. Toshiro shook his head, specifying that shinigami work is never as painful as this.

"Yes, twenty-four-seven, we are going to risk our lives and experience physical pain, but almost never will we face mental and emotional pain. It is unheard of for a kido or anything like that to bring back the dead, honestly, don't even think it was really him. Sure Isshin-Taicho could be a lunatic sometimes, but he would never endanger the lives of this love ones to test the power," Toshiro concluded.

After his speech, there was nothing but comfortable silence. After what seemed like hours of staring at the sky, Karin broke the silence with, "Thank you," she lifted herself off of Toshiro to see he was fast asleep. Karin was a little shocked to see Toshiro sleep so soon, but she smiled at him even in his sleep, "Thank so very much."

* * *

The next day, Hitsugaya woke up to see long, black, straight hair in his face. Confused, he rubs the hair out of his face and mouth. He quickly sat up and stuck out his tongue while tried to shake off the taste of the flat ironed hair that had abused his taste buds. After the taste was suppressed, he looked to his side to find the source of the godforsaken, tasting hair. He found Karin sleeping peacefully, once in awhile talking or stirring in her sleep, but peaceful.

Toshiro's mind thought back to last night. He smiled at the thought of him being able to calm this beauty in front of him. He knew he couldn't get closer to him, but it was fine for him just to make sure that she was okay. He has given up those feelings for her years ago, _no..._ , he has prevent to think about those feelings for her years ago. What he wanted was to forget what happened to Karin, why his hair turned red.

Toshiro carried her bridal style to the ground below. He landed in the yard of Urahara's candy shop. Karin stirred more this time and fluttered her eyes open. She smiled at him while Toshiro looked at her with a neutral look. Karin started to look at the ground to see she was not on the ground at all. Toshiro, who was lost in his thoughts, didn't realize her gaze at all, "Umm, Toshiro, could you put me down now?" she asked with a shy tone.

Startled by her question, he quickly complied with her request and gentle let her feet touch the ground. Karin looked around to observe where she was, but still couldn't recognize where she was, "Where are we?" she asked Toshiro with a clueless look that was so innocent while she was actually really deadly.

"Urahara's shop, we came here to get our gigai, or if it's not here, the others have them," Toshiro answered. Before Karin had the chance to react to his answer, Karin's ankle was grabbed by an unknown source and whe was hoisted into the air without warning. Seconds later she was upside down in the air and struggled to keep the loose Hakama from draping to where her underwear could be shown.

"Toshiro! Get me down from here!" she yelled with one hand keeping the Hakama from falling to low and the other hand swinging side to side in a panic as if it was really going to help her. Toshiro turned around to see Karin in a panic and upside down. He mentally facepalmed at the girl's clusiness to get caught up in that pathetic trap.

Meanwhile, Urahara heard a female voice yelling for help from the silver haired taicho and he immediately jumped at the chance to see his trap for burglars actual work. When he caught a glimpse at the scene, his excitement went down hill to see just Karin stuck in the trap. He wanted a thief in the trap, not a middle-school girl. Somehow, he freed the girl from the worthless contraption. She fell straight on her head without a warning again.

"Karin, you okay," asked a senseless Hitsugaya. Karin would have yelled her ass off if she didn't have a major headache. Toshiro released his zanpakuto that he was going to use to destroy the damn thing and helped Karin up. Emotionlessly, Hitsugaya hauled her into his chest and adjusted Karin to where he was carrying her bridal style again. Urahara, who was mysteriously disappointed to see one of his old friend, greeted them with a pathetic hello.

"What the hell was that machine of yours?" Toshiro rudely asked while leaning Karin against a wall and looked at her his eyes of curiosity. Toshiro soon turned his head to Urahara and waited for him to answer his question.

He adjusted his voice to add meaning to his next sentence, "If you have to know," he started with a cocky tone, "It's THE Ultra Security System that is made by my godly hands," he answered proudly. Toshiro, on the other hand, was highly doubting that the lame thing even worked right, considering that it caught Karin and not him, it was pretty pathetic.

"You mean it's a worthless piece of junk that has no use for human life," Toshiro corrected him with a bland look. It's Urahara Kisuke after all, the only way he lives is by getting insulted for petty things. Urahara started to sulk, that means Hitsugaya was right. Since his business was out the door for really being call a business, he thought it would be nice to actually add a new item that was not candy at all, but you see where that got him.

Karin, who slowly exited her confusion and headache, commented, "W-what hell is that contraption that tortured me?" she asked with a dizzy posture and a drunk-sounding voice.

"A security thing," Hitsugaya answered with the his famous tone.

"Security, my ass! Do set your security thing to attack your allies? If so, with friends like you, who needs enemies!" she yelled with anger while pointing her finger at Urahara.

Urahara gave a worried and pathetic smile while waving his fan, "How about we just forget about that little situation, I have your gigai right here," Urahara changed the subject. He knows from Yoruichi that having a mad female shinigami on his hands was too much of a price to pay, money wise and distress wise. He presented the lifeless gigai that looked exactly like Hitsugaya and Karin.

"Just as creepy as ever," Karin mumbled with a looked at signaled that she did not like how there's was a replica of herself in the room. She remembered there always being two Ichigos or Toshiros every time there was a battle to be fought. She would always take care of the gigai while one or the other fought the enemy off, that's basically what she did during the battle against the other arrancar. She watched as Toshiro entered the gigai that she could never concept how to enter the fake body.

She touched the gigai of herself, she was suddenly sucked into the body, "W-what the-" she stuttered while the weird sensation overpowered her soul, "Hell-!" she yelled before being stucked into the gigai unexpectedly. The eyes of her gigai fluttered open and she sat straight up with panic, "What the hell is this?" she asked with fear. She looked at her hand and tried to move her fingers, they moved perfectly.

"It's a gigai. Feels weird the first time you use it, right?" Urahara asked with a smile and a quick whip of his fan. Karin nodded as she switched from hand to hand to see it move perfectly again and again, as if she was looking for a sort of flaw in the craftsmanship. "I got your gikons right here," Urahara gave them each a bottle of gikons that had an adorable animal on top of it. Karin studied the item carefully, she wanted to see if Urahara had poisoned anything she's using. Depending on that pathetic contraption he has got out there, there's a good possibility that's true.

"Yeah..." Karin mumbled not really knowing what was going on because she focused so much on the pill bottle. When she finally realized it was hopeless, she put the bottle in her back pocket and redirected her attention to Urahara.

"Now for Kuroaski-Taicho and the others," he waved his fan again. Karin was starting to get pissed off because of it. It was like he was distinguishing himself from others like he was a god, "They went back to their previous home, it's currently occupied by Kurosaki Yuzu, and she can see ghost by now," Urahara informed. Karin's head just did a one-eighty. Her little sister was the last thing on her mind, plus the form Karin's in now. What about all of her old friends, they would be super suspicious to see her and Toshiro stay the same age after twenty years. And after Toshiro told them she died!

Toshiro nodded and dragged Karin along to the way to Yuzu's home. Urahara was left in loneliness without a signal goodbye, how underappreciated he was. Meanwhile Toshiro and Karin walked in awkward silence through the newly refined Karakura. Karin looked around Karakura to see what has changed. "Karakura has changed a lot, eh?" she asked while sightseeing. She notice a newly found statue that symbolized children playing and having fun. She also realized that there was five names carved into the base of the statue. She ran closer to the statue to see the five names:

 _Kurosaki Ichigo_

 _Kurosaki Karin_

 _Inoue Orihime_

 _Sado Yasutora_

 _Ishida Uryu_

 _Rest in peace for we could not find you._

Karin's heart broke in two. Toshiro was right, she should have run. If she did run, her name wouldn't have cause sorrow to the people she left behind. Yuzu was probably the most shaken up. She has lost both of her parents, her brother, and twin sister. Karin never thought about how the stain of her footprint would impact the community. Karin collapsed at the stone statue with guilt. She dug her nails into the flesh on her arm with anger.


	6. Lost

_I forgot something!_

 __ _ **I do**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **own Bleach.**_ __

 _BTW, I'm sorry IchiRukia, but I love IchiHime. Also, any ship with any characters that I put in thia story, sorry if you hate that ship with that person. God, I just confused myself. Anyway_...

* * *

"Karin what's the matter?" Toshiro asked with great concern. Toshiro raced to Karin's aid. He held her shoulder, but that made her shiver in fear. Toshiro immediately back his hand away from her. He glanced at the lower half of the statue and read it from beginning to end. Toshiro's heart sunk with guilt. Just when he thought he could atone for what he had done to her, it comes back to haunt him every time.

"Hey, kids, what are you doing here?" asked the voice of a man in his late twenties. Toshiro and Karin turn around to face the man and there turned out to be three of them, "K-Karin?" the man stuttered.

"Hitsugaya?" ejaculated another. Toshiro just realized that they resemble Uehara Kei, Toba Ryohei, and Usaka Kazaya, Karin's former friends, "It's too amazing, you look exactly like Karin and Hitsugaya," the man's voice broke.

"Toba, Uehara, Usaka?" Hitsugaya resited their name. The three men's stomach drop to hear the bleached white hair fifteen year old say their names. Karin's eyes water with tears to see her old friends grown up. They probably have families and loved ones of their own. There was just one missing, Toujion Heita.

"How are you here? I thought you both died years ago, and why are you so young?" Uehara showered the two with questions. Toba and Usaka stood there with with their jaw dropped open and not knowing what to say. Karin and Toshiro looked at the men, speechless. Toshiro couldn't answer their question and couldn't make up a lie. The only thing that he could do was escape from the question. He position Karin quickly and carried her on his back. He started to run away from the men and ran to the previous Kurosaki residences. The three astonished men was knocked to the ground by Hitsugaya with Karin in a panic on his back. None of them went after the duo, too overwhelmed by the appearance of their deceased friends.

"Karin, listen to me, you can't be held back by the past. You have to move on from your past life if you want to master the true experience of being a shinigami," Toshiro advised while running as fast as he can with Karin on his back. He could tell that Karin was distraught from this world and it's people.

"I know, Toshiro," she barely whispered with a face filled with shock and distress from the previous events. When they finally reach Yuzu current home, Toshiro busted through the door, scaring everyone half to death.

Kurosaki winced that was caused by Toshiro startling him, "What the hell Toshiro, are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" Ichigo exclaimed at him. Toshiro ignored the comment and set Karin on the sofa and ran to get her a glass of water. "What happened to Karin?" Kurosaki said in a concerned and a hit of anger towards the young taicho.

"Toshiro, it's okay, they're not chasing up anymore," Karin reassured, but still, even one else was confused about the situation with Hitsugaya and Karin. Toshiro sighed and relaxed his body over the counter and catching up to speed of what just happened. _Why was I so eager to make sure she wasn't sad or crying or anything?_ he asked himself. Hitsugaya then remembered when Karin was almost brought to tears by himself. He has only once seen her cry at all, the day she died. But that time was different, she felt betrayed by him a few days ago and know she was giving him another chance. The day she died, she was smiling as blood and tears where shed from her body.

After Karin noticed the confusion and heartache Toshiro gave off, she skeptically walked to his side to see if he was alright. The kitchen was as cold as a winter day and it grew colder as she walked through the tense filled room to where she could barely breathe. Karin knew she would regret this, but she lied her hand on his shoulder to feel the icy cold skin that dwell under his shirt. "You don't have to protect me, just... stay alive," Karin commanded with a concern looked and reluctantly walked out of the kitchen. He carefully repeated the words she spoke and wathed her and resist the tell her to stay.

He clench the counter with unexplainable feeling. It surged through his body like a lightening strike. _I should have-_ his thoughts were cut off by a loud yelling in the living room. This distraction set his mind at ease and replaced it with curiosity. He poked his head through the frame that separates the two rooms to here the mindless complaint of Kurosaki Ichigo. He yelled out to Karin about what Toshiro might have done and how he was gonna kick his ass. This pissed Hitsugaya off greatly and the red animated looking red veins popped from his forehead.

"I would love to hear you say that to my face, Kurosaki!" shouted Toshiro. This caught the attention everyone in the room and all eyes were either on Ichigo or Hitsugaya. Yuzu willingly interfered with their fight. Not knowing the consequences, she charged between the two and tried to calm them down like she was the super hero of this house. Yuzu had turned into a fine and curvy nurse at the Kurosaki Clinic. Her hair was pot into a side ponytail that reached her shoulder and she wore an apron, a white tank top, and black jeans.

"You two stop!" shouted Yuzu while pointing towards the agruing pair. Kurosaki and Hitsugaya's attention went south to the thirty year old woman. Loud noises was audible from the up stair and distracted everyone from Yuzu stopping the two taichos.

"Mama!" yelled the voice of a small female child, "Jin chased a ghosr away by throwing Mr. Satoshi out the window!" whine the little girl. She ran down the stairs with tears in her eyes. The girl was a brunette with piercing gold eyes and pale skin and looked to be the agr of four. She wore a white sun dress with a pink bow wrapped around her waist and had knee-high socks. The girl wrapped her small arms around Yuzu's legs and whined about a boy named Jin.

Yuzu sighed at her daughter and held the girl in her arms, "Now, now Yuki. Jin was probably trying to protect you from the ghost. Even though I tild him not all ghost are bad," Yuzu mumbled the last part. The brunette named Yuki calmed as her mother looked at her with a heartfelt look. She wiped the tears from her eyes and cracked a small smile for her mom.

Soon, a dark haired ginger ran down the stairs in a sprint. The boy turned to his mother and sister, "D-don't worry, mom, I'll get the plushie," stutter the seven year old boy who seemed to be Jin. The boy looked like a boy verse of Yuzu except for the ginger hair. He was wearing a white t-shirt, a blue vest, and a pair of blue jeans, "Wait, why are all these people in our house. A-and... aren't those two your bother and sister, mom?" Jin asked while pointing to Karin and Ichigo.

"W-well, umm.." Yuzu stuttered while putting Yuki down and looked the other way.

Yuki had the same concern and questionable look as Jin, "Yea mama, you used to always say they left you. If they did, why are they here?" Yuki asked with a disappointed tone. Yuzu stared at her children. They were already able to see ghost at a younger age then Ichigo and Karin. She actually started seeing hollows and ghost at the age of eighteen.

Meanwhile, Karin and Ichigo's chest felt heavy from guilt. The children were right, they have left Yuzu all alone without a proper explaination. Urahara might of caught her up to date of why the died years ago. Yuzu looked at Ichigo with a face asking _what should I do?_ Ichigo nodded and indicated that the children should know. They wouldn't understand anyway.

Next thing that happen was that someone was messing with the doorknob from the outside. After the door opened, a red head walked through the door to find his wife and kids in the middle of the room with other familar face lounging around his house. He paused in time for a moment and processed thriugh his hot headed mind that people were in his house.

After the little pause, Yuki went to the man yelling, "Papa!" The man quickly caught her in his arms and brought the girl closer to his chest and smile at Yuki while she cuddled him .

"H-hello, honey," Yuzu blushed in embarrassment because there were some many guest when her husband came come.

When the ithers finally stopped their own little pause, they yelled in unison, "Jinta!"

* * *

"I won't stand for this! I'm not letting my sweet sister marry a hot head like you!" Ichigo was ready to beat Jinta into the Soul Society, if it wasn't for everyone except Hitsugaya and Jinta holding him down.

"Please stop it Uncle Ichi, papa isn't a bad guy," Yuki spead out her arms and legs to block Ichigo's held down body from her father's. Jinta smiled at his daughter and touched that she cared so much about him.

Yuzu persuaded, "Sorry Ichi-Nii, but I've already married him. There's nothing you can do now!" Yuzu yelled while strugging to hold him down. Ichigo still resist to listen and yelled about how he was going to kill Jinta. "He's my husband and I love him!" she yelled absentmindedly. Everyone settle down, especially Ichigo. A blush made it's way dto her face when she realized what she had said in front of everyone.

Jinta was smiling like a manic and grabbed her hand without her excepting it. He brought, her up to his lips in an attempt to tease Yuzu and piss off her brother even more. Willingly, she kissed him back while a ticked off mark appeared on his forehead and everyone except for Hitsugaya blushed. The children looked away from their parent's makeout session.

After a minute or two Yuzu pulled away with a red face. She took in reality to see that Ichigo was yelling and the others were blushing. She turned to Jinta who was teasing her with his attractive smirk. She wanted to kill Jinta for embarrassing her for a second, but then the feeling surpressed. She turned back to her family and friends and bowed with an apologetic face, "I'm sorry, everyone," she squeaked into her mental corner.

 _Idiots_ , Toshiro thougt in his head while watching them.

* * *

"Back to the reason why we're here," Inoue-Taicho started. After everyone was settled and Ichigo was pissed off even more, Orihime knew it was her duty to inform Yuzu and Jinta why they were at their home. Cause she knew sure as hell that Rangiku, Karin, and Hinamori wasn't going to do it. And Ichigo was too mad about Yuzu marrying a hot head. And Hitsugaya didn't seem to care for anything, right now. "We are on a mission that is supposed to be taking place in the Soul Society. We've met with the corpse of Kurosaki Isshin-Taicho yesterday and chased him to the world of the living. It was a trap to lock us out of he Soul Society for unknown reasons. Now we have no contact with our divisions nor the Soul Society itself."

After Orhime was done with her little introduction, Karin begged, "Please let us stay here for a few days, at least until we can get some money." Karin tilted her head to Yuzu and Jinta. When Karin realized that almost no one knew what she was doing, she grabbed the closest person she could find, which was Hitsugaya, and forced him on his hand and knee.

"What the heck am I doing?" He muttered to Karin.

Karin glared at him, "It's called begging. Do you want to be on the streets for a month?" Karin whispered deadly to him that could send shivers down your spine. Hitsugaya was going to protest, but he knew that streets was not an option for anyone except Kurosaki.

After his little sigh everyone except Ichigo - _of course_ \- was on their hands and knees. Toshiro wouldn't have begged on his hands and knees at all if I wasn't for Karin. If a taicho would stoop that low, other than Inoue - she acts too much like a child, they didn't deserve the title. Yuzu, who was embarrassed that people were begging to her like this flushed a little and hid behind her husband, "Fine, fine, just get up," she bent down to where she was the same height as her husband's shoulder. The red head had amusement written all over his face. No one ever begged to him like this, but he knew that Yuzu had the most say in this since she was home all the time.

His thoughts were ruined by reality, every thought of making Hitsugaya and Kurosaki embarrass themselves a hundred times over in the month. They would be here was burned to ashes by the one he loved so dear. Yuki, being the exciting and outgoing person she is, jumped on Kurosaki's back in a hyper mood. To Karin, this seems all too familiar. Karin was the first to stand up and allowed the weight of her body that fell into the hand that kept Hitsugaya held down was lifted off his shoulders and allowing him to stand like the god he thinks is in his mind. Hitsugaya was about to yell at the current tenth fukutaicho, but was soon stopped by the seven year old's grip on his sleeve.

Hitsugaya turned around to see Yuzu's son, Jin. He thought that he couldn't yelled at the boy's aunt. His reputation would be ruined by this kid who could interact with shinigami and doesn't know the first thing about him and his position. The white haired man relaxed his body and shot a death glare to Karin, but Karin eased his glare by locking their eyes together. Jin, being the smart mouthed kid he is, curiously said, "Are you suppose to be Aunt Karin's husband? But you look too young to marry," Jin stroke his chin.

"Not in a million years!" both Karin and Hitsugaya yelled at the boy. The taicho didn't really mind the idea, but he knew it could never happen. His emotions went out of control when he even sensed the bit of danger around her and would have to kill everyone around her, plus the fact he abandoned the feelings he had for her. Karin was furious at the child. She was betrayed by the one she loved the most and was put to tears twice by him, she knew that she could never forgive that man. _Never..._ ss


	7. Espada -1: part 1

_Okay! DISCLAIMER:_

 __ _ **I do NOT own bleach!**_ __

 _BTW, you can skip this chapter if you want to find out the truth later in the story._

* * *

In the deepest forest Hueco Mundo was a woman who has been deceived. She remembers how her love has lead her to her current form as an arrancar. It all started with a simply smile.

 _"Shiro-Chan!" Hinamori yelled out for her best friend while running through the forest behind their home village. Hinamori felt bad after Hitsugaya ran away while she was explaining that he wouldn't have a chance being a shinigami. "Toshiro! I am sorry!" she yelled again while standing in the middle of a clearing in the forest. "Ugh, he can be so touchy sometimes when you tease him," she mumbled to herself._

 _After clarifying he wasn't there, she put a foot in front of her and began to run, but before she put her other foot down, she saw a man with dark brown hair that made unity with the dark green background. Hinamori twisted on her heel and face the man. A blush appeared on her cheeks as she looked a the man in the bushes._

 _ **He's so handsome...**_ _The man walked towards her with a smirk that stole her heart. Her chest started to beat faster and faster, "H-Hi, umm...ummm- my n-n-name is Hina-m-mori Momo," Hinamori's face was a pastel red that spread from her forehead to her chin. Why did I tell this stranger my name?_

 _"Aizen Sosuke, third seat of squad five," he introduced himself. He held out his hand which made Hinamori's heart beat out of her chest. She tortured herself by slowly reaching out for his hand._ _ **So soft...**_ _she admired. "From your uniform, I can tell you are a student from the Shinigami Academy," he noticed._

 _Hinamori quivered at the sight of him and decided to look at the ground, "Y-yea, I am in my last year at the academy. So I'll- wait!" Hinamori cut herself off. Aizen-Sama, what Hinamori insist on calling him, showed a slight interest in what she needs to do, "I need to find Toshiro," she forgot her newly found crush for a second and turned around on her heel._

 _"Hinamori, meet me at this spot tomorrow night, there's an urgent matter I want to discuss with you," he smiled at her. Hinamori shifted her head to Aizen and she took his smile to heart and started blushing again._

 _"Of course, Aizen-Sama. And call me Momo!" she yelled while running out of the forest, her voice echoing throughout the clearing._ _ **Aizen-Sama... I know he will be someone I will cherish in life, I just know.**_

 _Momo-Chan_ _, called her zanpakuto Tobiume,_ _I have a bad feeling about that guy, you must stay cautious around that man_ _. Hinamori cut her eyes at her zanpakuto's warning._

 _Hinamori thought,_ _ **Tobiume, you worry too much. That man looked perfectly-**_

 _-Perfectly suspicious_ _, Tobiume finished,_ _What kind of man stalks a young girl until she's in a dark forest_ _! she yelling in Hinamori's head._

 _Hinamori bowed her head in pain, but still was running, while replied,_ _ **Okay, okay, I'll think about it Tobiume, you're giving me a headache.**_

 _Hinamori sighed when her zanpakuto didn't replied, "Anyway, I need to find Shiro-Chan," she said to herself while waiting for her mild headache to vanish. After a long search, she finally found Hitsugaya sitting on the tippy-top of a tree looking at the same sunset they always have view when Hinamori have just started the academy. She stopped coming to see him because it was easier to live in the Seireitei for school._

 _"Shiro-Chan!" she said with excitement while staring at his pure white hair. Hinamori always thought that as long as his soul was pure and happy, his hair would be just as pure. As soon as Hitsugaya heard Hinamori's voice, he jerked around and cocked his head to look at Hinamori in a confused, yet angry way._

 _"Hinamori, how many times have I told you to call me Hitsugaya!" he scolded her. He wasn't a real big fan of his first name because of the fact he was named after his late father that abandoned him and his mother when he was a boy. And his mother died the year before he was taken in by his adoptive grandmother._

 _"Your last name should be Hinamori, too! Since you are basically my brother, now!" Hinamori called up to Hitsugaya._

 _Hitsugaya became a little bit more pissed, "Would a sister leave her brother all alone for two year!" he retorted. Hinamori sighed at his comeback. He was right, she had no right to call him her brother when she left for so long for a dream that could kill her._

 _"No! But I want our relationship to be like siblings! Shiro-Chan, I care for you like your my kid brother, it doesn't matter if it's biological or not, we are still family! Even if you do not accept it, I will keep caring for you like-" Hinamori was cut off by the feeling of something very tiny hitting her forehead._

 _Hitsugaya had a slight smirk on his face, "You talk way too damn much!" he replied to her little speech. Hinamori slowly realized that he had chucked a watermelon seed at her with his mouth. A fire was seen in her eyes and that fire represented anger._

 _"You disgusting pig! Who would ever spit a watermelon seed at someone?! And why at my forehead?!" she cursed him while yelling as loud as she can._

 _Hitsugaya sighed with the most serious voice he could make right then, "One: how long have you know me? And two: I wasn't really aiming at your forehead, it's just so big that if anyone was throwing anything at you, it would hit your forehead indefinitely" he replied while shrugging his shoulders._

 _Now Hinamori was livid, "I dare you to say that to my face! Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat! Bakudo no.9: Horin!" Hinamori chanted with rage. A golden rope of energy leaped from Hinamori's hands and wrapped itself around the silver haired boy._

 _Hinamori smirked and pulled Hitsugaya from the tree to the ground to face her. As she looked into the eyes of her current enemy, Hitsugaya spit another watermelon seed at her forehead. She was pissed and about to kick him into oblivion when Hitsugaya chanted, "Hado no.4: Byakurai!"_

 _The lightning strike slashed her left arm, "Hado no.11: Tsuzuri Raiden!" Hinamori yelled with fury. The bakudo that lead from her to Hitsugaya placed as a conductor for Tsuzuri Raiden and caused slight pain to Hitsugaya who hissed after being hit with the the eleventh Hado._

 _"Oh, now you're going to get it!" Hitsugaya growled with a playful intent. Hinamori smirked at her young challenger that wasn't even in the academy but could use kido so well, "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado no.31: Shakkaho!" Hitsugaya intoned proudly. Hinamori struggled to block the kido with her zanpakuto in its unreleased state._

 _Fortunately for Hinamori, she fend off the attack with a couple scratches and bruises, but she still looked determined in this kido battle, "I guess it's my turn, Baku-" Hinamori was cut off by the yelling of a familiar voice._

 _"Momo-Chan! Hitsugaya-Kun! Stop, you're going to destroy the forest!" yelled a small child villager. Her name was Nami. The small seven year old girl had no last name but was a wonder to Junrinan, actually, she's the first one to befriend the future-taicho. She had light pink hair with hazel eyes that brighten everyone's day. She wore a blue kimono that looked dusty and old. Hinamori and Hitsugaya stopped their sparring match with kido to examine the forest. They've blown up dozens of trees and made the whole area bluntly a barren wasteland._

 _"Damn, Obaa-San is going to kill us!" Hinamori shrieked at the disaster that have made. After Nami came, four other kids came following her._

 _"Mi-Chan! It's dangerous here, did you not see that kido?" her elder, Katsu, looked at his little sister with worry. Nami laughed at his face of concern which causes his face to express his confusion. He was a tall 'fifteen' year old that was really noble and caring. He had_

 _"It was only Hitsugaya-Kun and Momo-Chan," the girl smiled cutely at the two children who were tired out and beaten up really badly._

 _Another member of the group named Fu spoke up, "Up to yo' old fights again, eh Hina-San?" teased Hakara Fu, the baddest girl in the group. She positioned her hands to hold her sides with one of her skinny legs popping out, a piece of straw in her mouth, and her long dark blond hair was in a messy bun. Her kimono looked worn out, but it could be very high class if it was brand new._

 _"Fu, just call me Momo," Hinamori insisted._

 _Fu rolled her eyes and positioned her hands behind the blind spot in the back of her neck, "Tch, in hell I will," she replied in a rude way._

 _Hinamori crossed her arms and pouted, "Fine, Ha-San," Hinamori retorted back. Both of the 'fourteen' year old girl glared at each other._

 _Next, a child the same age and size as Hitsugaya peaked from behind Hakara. His name is Nari Del. He is a very small child that was crippled when he was born, so he depends on everyone to help him. He was jet black spiky hair with soft caring purple eyes. He was born with darker skin than the rest, but everyone accepted him, "Y-you have a-amazing kido, I wish I was as strong as you two," hoped the boy._

 _Finally, a female named Hankai Kelly popped from the shadows. She has a aqua green hair color that is very beautiful with shiny silver eyes that shone like the moon. Since she is Asian-African, she has a tender caramel skin color that she took extra care of. Caused by her eye impairment, she had to wear thick bulky glasses, but that made her look even more shunning. Her hair was down and combed with a sun hat that had white lilies placed into the netting, unlike the rest of us, a torn and dirty sundress, and her bulky glasses "Amazing!? This isn't amazing! This is incredibly-unexplainable-amazing!" she cheer with an outgoing personality._

 _Katsu blushed at Hankai's outburst. It was obvious that he had a huge crush on her. In reality, Hakai didn't know about her secret lover because of her dense mind, "T-That is true Kel-Chan, but that doesn't excuse what they did. Now we're going to have to cover up for this mess."_

 _"No problem!" she cheered happily. The girl spun around in a circle and a small blue light hovered above and below her. Next thing that happened was the land was turned back into a forest._

 _"H-how did you do that?" stuttered Hitsugaya._

 _Kelly put a finger to her cheek, "I never did tell you about how I'm a fullbringer, did I?" she asked Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya shook his head, "Since a hollow attacked my mama when I was in her stomach, I have the power to create illusions that looks real. I have the power to mess with people's head until they go insane. My fullbring is Out-of-the-Mind. It's empathized by my hair," she kindly explained like it was no big deal._

 _Hitsugaya on the other hand mentally noted to stay on her good side. "Anyway, Shinigami-in-Training, how's the Seireitei treatin' ya?" Hakara nudged Hinamori. Hinamori smiled at her friend._

 _I planned to talk to you about that over lunch, "Kelly, mind coming with me to get some groceries? You, too Nami," Hankai and Nami nodded immediately. Nami took Hinamori's hand and Hankai stood by her side, "Hakara, stay here to keep the guys in check. If we know them, Shiro-Chan and Katsu-Kun would just kill each other," Hinamori advised._

 _"We would not!" yelled Katsu and Hitsugaya in unison, before you know it, they're in the daily pointless arguments, "Hey, stop copying off of me!" cliché, am I right?"_

 _While Hitsugaya and Katsu were having their argument, Hakara agreed to babysit them while Hinamori, Hankai, and Nami were out. Hinamori walked away with her two friend at her side, "Momo-Chan, are you going to stay in that uniform. It's just so white that it might get dirty in the dusty town," Nami asked in concern._

 _"Yea, it's very unique. Plus it attracts a lot of unwanted attention," Hankai added._

 _"Kelly, Nami-Chan, it's already very dirty from my fight with Hitsugaya and I say let them stare. If they want to fight me, you two will be there to watch my back," I said proudly. Hankai and Nami giggled at her arrogant and playful statement. Soon she caught a glimpse of a familiar four eyed man, "Aizen-Sama?" she questioned her eyesight. She blinked again and he was still there, talking with a shop owner. Just as I was about to talk with him, he flash stepped away from the market place and his spiritual pressure was undetectable for my level of skills._


	8. Espada -1: part 2

_Next part of the last chapter..._

 _ **I do**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **own Bleach!**_ __

 _BTW, like I said the last chapter, you can skip this one. Oh and we're still in Hinamori's flashback._

* * *

 _ **The Next Day:**_ __

 _"Momo! You have to show us your zanpakuto!" begged Hankai, "Toshiro-Kun said you released the power sometime last month!" Hankai was on her knees and positioning her hands like she was about to pray. She made her adorable puppy dog face that could rival Nami's adorableness. Today, Hinamori, Hitsugaya, Katsu, Hakara, Nami, Hankai, and Nari have come to the sparring ground that Hankai covered up with an illusion to work on their own techniques. Katsu is a master at hand to hand combat, Nari is a young quincy that escaped the shinigami's hold, Hakara works well with a spear, Hankai has her fullbring: Out-of-the-Mind, You already know what Hinamori has, Hitsugaya can manifest his zanpakuto, and Nami's just finding her special power out._

 _"She's right, we can here to train, you know. It wouldn't be right to say you're going to help us train than not let us see your zanpakuto," Hitsugaya cooed. Every other kid in the group nodded their heads and agreed with his statement._

 _"Alright, fine!" Hinamori drew her zanpakuto and thrusted it towards the sky, "Snap, Tobiume!" she called out her zanpakuto. A red light bordered the blade and the silver blade appeared to have three extra blades sticking out of the sides of it. Next she turned around and a red spiritual pressure surrounded it until a fireball was visible at the end of the blade and swing it to release the fireball and it attacked five trees, knocking them down at once._

 _"That puny thing did that?!" Hakara's jaw dropped to the ground. Hinamori smirked at all the shocked and scared faces among the six there was, but Hitsugaya made no face what-so-ever._

 _Hitsugaya walked over to Hinamori and examined her zanpakuto, "It's actually a very powerful shikai, but it seems the only move this zanpakuto can give you is that fireball technique. In a battle against a fire or water zanpakuto, this is useless," Hitsugaya reported._

 _Hinamori's veins popped out of her head at Hitsugaya's report, "Jerk, you begged me to let you see Tobiume then you're gonna down talk it!" Hinamori turned her back to him and pouted by a stomp of her feet and crossing her arms._

 _Hitsugaya shrugged, "Just letting you know what you're getting yourself into," Hitsugaya then examined the woods around them, he had a bad feeling that they were being watched and he was good at hiding their spiritual pressure. Next thing he felt was a stranger spiritual pressure surround Hinamori. He put that to the back of his mind and focused on what the group was about to do._

 _"Kelly and Shiro-chan-" Hinamori started._

 _"That's not my name!"_

 _"I want you two to face off against each other," Hinamori continued. Hitsugaya sweat built up at the thought of fighting Hankai. Kelly smiled happily knowing she was going to have the chance to fight someone._

 _"Yay! Finally, everyone said that they're too scared for sparring! And I know that Toshiro-Kun would never back out! He's not a coward!" Hankai acknowledged him. Hitsugaya was about to back out of the fight until he heard Hankai's dense words. After thinking about his reputation, like he had a good reputation when he was a lowly villager, he was hesitant to back out or not._

 _Looking at Hitsugaya, Hakara and Katsu noted that even Hitsugaya was scared of her. Hankai Kelly's charms and the coloring of her hair and skin was one thing to make her popular with men, but her powers made men scared of her. Whenever she had a boyfriend, she would nearly kill him for cheating. Because of her kind heart and ability of empathy and hating blood and stuff, the poor souls continued to live._

 _After a long thinking process and he being a boy genius, he said, "Hell I will, I don't want to die so young!" yelled Hitsugaya. To everyone's eyes, except Hinamori and Hankai, he made the correct choice. It would be a death wish to fight her, "Hinamori, I wish to fight you instead,"_ _ **. . . death wish . . .**_ _She's almost a frickin' shinigami for Kami-Sama's sake!_

 _"Are you sure of that? I know I'm not that skilled in kido, but I've been training with Tobiume for seven years and I know it's name. You, on the other hand, just manifested your zanpakuto a month ago," Hinamori warned him with an emotionless face._

 _Memories of that mysterious ginger woman telling him he was about to kill his obaa-san with his spiritual pressure clouded his mind while he ignored Hinamori's warning, "Hinamori, you know you could probably kill him!" shrieked Hankai, "I'm not as near powerful as you and I'm guessing with your little experience, you can't fully control your power!"_

 _"If I'm going to become a shinigami, I need to know how a shinigami fight, not just with kido," Hitsugaya arrogantly proposed while manifesting his zanpakuto out of thin air. Since he's not fully trained with his zanpakuto, it cannot be manifested all the time._

 _Katsu furrowed his eyebrows at Hitsugaya, "You're an idiot, Hitsugaya Toshiro," he growled._

 _"Call me stupid if I want, but I'm determine," Hitsugaya pointed his unnamed zanpakuto to Hinamori's chest. But for some reason, he felt a burning feeling of guilt. Then images of a slightly older Hinamori and Hitsugaya filled his mind with Hitsugaya stabbing a blade into her chest. Next an evil feeling enveloped in the air, shocking all seven of them to the cord._

 _Hakara was the first to speak, "W-what...is this...evil p-p-" Hakara couldn't even finish her sentence. Nami started to curl up into a ball and silently cried. Katsu cursed under her breath and examined the current area. Hankai was paralyzed to the bone, the only thing she could was rub her forearms and cry helplessly as her pupils shrunk and shrunk. Nari held his head like he had a headache after he fell into the dirt._

 _Hitsugaya's zanpakuto dropped to the dirt and disintegrated into nothing as Hitsugaya froze. Hinamori feeling the sensation somehow tied it to Aizen Sosuke, "Aizen-Sama!" she called out to nowhere._ _ **A-Aizen? T-that name is familiar...**_ _Hitsugaya thought._

 _ **Flashback**_

* * *

 _ **"Thanks Kuto-Ojiisan," Hitsugaya thanked before grabbing the sack of items Hinamori asked him to get for the house.**_

 _ **"No problem, Toshiro," replied the old shop owner, "Actually, it's thanks to that nice shinigami that donated an amount of money to this old rickety joint. But something was strange about him, like he was up to something suspicious," blabbered on the old man.**_

 _ **"What was his name?" Hitsugaya asked with interest in a serious manner.**_

 _ **"Aizen...Sosuke... I think. He was a third seat of squad something or other," the shop owner carefully thought over, "You don't want to mess with him. He's a third seat so stay out of his way. Also stay away from anyone who is associated with him." Hitsugaya nodded at the suggestion and walked away from scene with his bag of items.**_

* * *

 _Hinamori found the shinigami she was looking for at the border of the barren landscape that was covered by Hankai's illusion. Hitsugaya questioned how he found out this wasn't actually a forest, even Hinamori was fooled by her trick, "Aizen-Sama!" Hinamori raced to her acquaintance, "W-what's happening to everyone. Why are they scared like that?" Hinamori ignorantly asked. In result, Aizen punched a hole through Hinamori's chest. Remind Hitsugaya of the images he saw, he snapped out of it and went for Aizen's head._

 _"How dare you hurt one of my friends!" taunted the white haired boy. He swung his unnamed zanpakuto in the air and planned on it to impact Aizen's neck. Instead, Aizen blocked it with his bare hand. Hitsugaya fell into a moment of shock to know that his plan didn't work. During his moment of shock, he was slammed into the barren ground that created a dent. It disturbed the illusion and it disappeared._

 _Next to attack was Hankai, "M-Momo's our friend! A-and you killed her!" yelled Hankai as she charged for him. Fear was evident in her eyes, but her bravery was too strong to be held back by that fear. Tears streamed out of her eyes as she spun around to activate her fullbring. She created a sword that is only visible to her allies and striked at Aizen following a kick with extra power to his face that appears to be delivered from the left, yet it's being delivered from the right. To top it off a sword that was only visible to the enemy was dangling over his head. Even though it wasn't real, it should give the feeling you have just been struck with a sword from the top of your head._

 _He dodged it easily. She was sent flying to the ground after his dodge and landed into the arms of a man with dark skin and violet hair. He caught her by her throat and was choking her to death, "S-sto, I-I ca-can't brea-the," she begged with tears more rapidly flowing from her eyes. In a desperate attempt to save herself, she concocted a katana and pointed it towards his blind spot. He knocked it out of the air with his zanpakuto behind him, "Y-you-r b-blind?" she asked._

 _"It maybe seem that I can see from other people's eyes, but your power has little effect on people with an important sense like sight," he evaluated from the child. Next he took a different zanpakuto and stabbed Hankai in the arm with it. The zanpakuto was coated in a liquid that affects spirits drastically. Hankai's head started to ache badly as she thought that she was being controlled by her own powers._

 _Soon a white mask appeared over face. The mask was spooky, yet elegant. It had carvings and red paintings that swerved and curled naturally throughout the mask. The eyes holes were dark and mysterious with petal like designs that circled it over and over again until it was a three-sixty around her eyes. She cried out in agony and pain which caused Hitsugaya to find the strength to fight and smack the shinigami away from Hankai._

 _After making sure it was clear to focus on Hankai, he flash stepped closer to Hakara and said with full concern, "Hankai, you're going to be okay, just hang on," he cooed to the 'thirteen' year old in his arms. His pleas to himself and Hankai didn't stop the fear that consumed him. All of his friend except Hankai was stuck in fear or dead. Hankai held tight to Hitsugaya in agony which caused him a little pain, but it didn't affect him in the least._

 _After reluctantly setting Hankai on the dirt ground he chanted, "Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness!" he remember Hinamori telling him about this kido they learned in class a few years ago. He was warned not use it because even some of the most power shinigami died from trying it, "Hado no.90: Kurohitsugi!"_

 _ **Sorry Hinamori, looks like we'll be in the nothingness of Hell together,**_ _he pathetically thought to himself. He felt his consciousness was running out quick as he fell to the dirt ground by Hakara and Hankai's side. Hankai's screams pierced his ear but what amazed him was that Hankai took his hand, "Hankai?" he asked himself. He then felt another hand grasp his. He looked to the his other side to see Hakara's fearfully face looking at him with a serious look, "Hakara?"_

 _Next came Katsu with Nami in his arms. The both lower to Hitsugaya's side and place their hands on his stomach. Next was Nari, he crawled helplessly through the dirt and reached out his hand to Hitsugaya. When he finally made it, he placed the tip of his middle finger on Hitsugaya's shoulders. He silently cried him relief to know he got him Hitsugaya without dying._

 _"T-Toshi-ro-Kun, I'm n-not gonna- let y-you d-die here," she smiled her biggest smile she could make at him. The mask has already covered half of her face including both of her eyes, but he tell she was crying tears of joy._

 _"Neither am I," Hitsugaya's attentions turn Katsu, "Even if I die, my friends are not going to die, I know it. Hinamori isn't dead either, I can hear her crying out to you saying 'help me Shiro-Chan,'" Katsu joked while everyone else laughs except Hitsugaya._

 _"We've known you were the most gifted and smallest one in our little group," smirked Hakara. Hitsugaya would have yelled about that little comment, but right now wasn't the time, "That's why we're all going to sacrifice our lives to save yours." Hitsugaya's eyes skrunk at her last statement._

 _He shook his head, "No, no, you all can't die for me! I'm not worth it! You all have families here that love and care for you! I don't!" he reasoned._

 _Nari shook his head, "No, they're not our real families and they probably have children of their own who cares for them. Anyway, us seven are family. Momo, Fu, Katsu, Kelly, Nami, you, and me. We're all family," Nari smiled brightly at Hitsugaya._

 _"But Hankai, you can't die in pain and agony," Hitsugaya rebelled._

 _"Don't worry about me, just save Hinamori," Hanakai reassured._

 _"Let's say our chant one more time before we go," Nami suggested. They all glanced at one another and nodded._

 _A green kido light enveloped the whole area as the all say in unison,"'Til day's come, I swear on my life, to protect you and always you. To care for you like my sibling. To guide you like the clouds. To pray for you out of kindness. To stay with you until I die."_

 _"I, Katsu"_

 _"I, Nami"_

" _I, Toshiro"_

 _"I, Fu"_

 _"I, Del"_

 _"I, Kelly"_

 _In the absence of Hinamori they say in chorus, "I, Momo"_

 _"Swear to never forget you. I maybe a lost soul, but I'm not lost anymore because my family is here with me..." Hitsugaya found him saying 'me' all by himself. The friends that sacrificed their golden lives died for him and his pathetic dream. They bless him with the power to stand and fight for their sister and friend, Hinamori Momo._

 _Tears rapidly fell off his face as he took a quick stare at all five of them. He felt no spiritual pressure nor the same kindness they always gave off. Hankai's hollow mask stopped growing and broke in two since it was almost completed, just a second longer..._

 _He stood up stronger as the black building like structure disappeared into thin air to expose a hollow Hinamori and three men: Aizen, Tosen, and Ichimaru. Aizen smirked at the kids behind Hitsugaya as Hitsugaya glared at him, "I'm fortunate that you're just a novice, boy. If you wasn't that last attack might have killed one of us. And I need all the men power I need to gain control over this meager world."_

 _I lend you my power to save this mere soul, say my name and use my power wisely!_ _commanded a powerful voice in his head._

 _"Reign over the Frosted Heavens..." Hitsugaya absentmindedly commanded, "Hyorinmaru..." his zanpakuto was still a normal katana, but a cold presence was able to be detected from the zanpakuto. The hilt turned a lavender color as Hitsugaya gripped it in his hands. His eyes reflected a white color like an overwhelming god. Hitsugaya directed the zanpakuto to Aizen's head and an ice dragon followed the direction. It wheezed itself around Aizen squeezing him to bits._

 _Aizen looked interested in the boy's sudden developments. He raised his zanpakuto, "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu," he carelessly commanded. After Hitsugaya examined the zanpakuto, Aizen unreleased his zanpakuto. Hitsugaya, who is confused by his action, stays on edge and waits for Aizen to make his move._

Unexpectedly, Aizen and the two other men flash step away. Shocking Hitsugaya, he stutters, "H-hey, wai-" he was cut off by an undeniable urge to rest. His legs went numb and fell straight on his butt. He struggled for his consciousness, but his struggle was left in vain.  
 ** _  
Hinamori... Katsu... Nami... Hankai... Nari... Hakara... Hyorinmaru, thank you for letting me protect Hinamori Momo..._**

* * *

After that day, but had no memory of their friends that died that day. The only thing that Hitsugaya could remember was the cold. Hinamori could only remember the mask that lied upon her face. That mask has broken into a hair accessory that she had to wear all the time. After waking up from the nightmare, Hitsugaya immediately enrolled into the academy and Hinamori was named the eighteenth seat of squad five. Soon she met Aizen again, and now, named the most powerful arrancar.


	9. Vows

_Now! Where are out of the of story of the sad life Hinamori and Hitsugaya lived. Damn! I was crying writing the last part of it. DISCLAIMER:_

 _ **I do**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **own bleach!**_ __

 _BTW... wow, I guess no btw's for this chapter... Let's get on with the show, or story-_

 _(someone stuck a piece of take over the B.H.'s mouth)_

* * *

 ** _The Next Day:_**

"Sleeping with children is awful," mumbled a very irritated Ichigo. Last night, Jin and Yuki, especially Yuki, was hard to put to bed. Yuki being a no-sleep-yes-play type of four year old always got out of bed to run around her around supposedly playing ring around the rosie with Satoshi-San.

"Well, we are in someone else's home, we'll just have to deal with it until you can get a job," Karin replied while walking down the steps. She had a towel over her right shoulder with a long sleeve white shirt with a pair of blue jeans. She entered the dining room to find her brother and Yamada sitting down to have coffee.

Ichigo glared at the girl, "Why me?" he pouted.

Karin sighed at her brother, "Because. Toshiro and I at least look too young to have a job. Orihime lacks mature qualities. We all know sure as hell that the money a convenience store will get you won't support us," she stared at Yamada knowing that's the first job he'll attempt to get, "If you put money in Rangiku's hand, she'll spend it all. And Momo-Chan has a bad condition where she was stabbed in the chest." she explained.

"I bet a thirteen year old and a fifteen year old could find a job..." he still pouted.

"Ichi-Nii, we're in Japan. This isn't the Soul Society where it doesn't matter what age you are to get a stupid job," Karin rolled her eyes.

"Yea, but that twerp is a genius, people would just be begging him to work for them." he reasoned.

"Don't you think it would be suspicious to find out Toshiro's not in school at the age he looks!" Karin argued back.

"Then go to school!" Ichigo replied.

"Speaking of which, where is that midget and Rangiku-San?" Karin asked as she looked around the room to check if the taicho and ginger fukutaicho are at the household.

Yamada replied, "They're keeping an eye out for the enemy, they should be back anytime now," Karin nodded to this information. Just on cue, the door opened to see two shinigami. Karin immediately knew it was Hitsugaya and Rangiku. Considering that one of them were about a half foot shorter than the other.

"C'mon taicho!" Rangiku said in a convincing voice, "You don't look like you need to be in elementary anymore," she commented in a high voice. "I'll even go with you if you want."

"In your dreams. Anyway, I'm not going," Hitsugaya tried to stand his ground. Even though he knew that Matsumoto would always come out on top when it comes to their famous arguments. That conversation in the Soul Society is just an example of them. Matsumoto has convinced Hitsugaya to do a lot of things that can damage his pride, but he had to think this was the worst of all.

"You went to school a few years ago when we can here to get Kurosaki," she mentioned. Matsumoto thought back to the time when Ichigo was in his flunk and Rukia just beat his ass to get him back in shape.

Hitsugaya looked at his former fukutaicho with irritation, "That's because we were commanded to, that was part of our job. But what you're suggesting is completely unnecessary," he fought back. Hitsugaya damned the day when he had to go to school. Every person in that class asked him if he was an eleven year old genius. Which he was a genius, but wasn't an eleven year old. Then every popular girl in that class wanted to take him home like he was a souvenir because they thought it was 'so cute' that a kid as small him was pretending to be in high school. That just made the air a lot colder and some people even froze to death.

"What are you talking about?" Kurosaki butted in on the conversation. For once in his life, Hitsugaya was glad Kurosaki was there to bail him out of another Matsumoto's stupid suggestion.

Matsumoto replied, "Talking about taicho going to school or not," Matsumoto pouted. She was really disappointed that Kurosaki butted in. Usually the only way for Hitsugaya to agree on something is to bug him about it until he yells 'I'll do it if you shut the hell up, damn you!' His words were scary, but that always seems to work.

"I agree, there is a lot of things you can still learn from school," Ichigo lied. Yamada and Karin knew he was agreeing with Matsumoto so he can be lazy. That very moment he realized that he will always be damned with Kurosaki Ichigo around.

Hitsugaya knew, knowing he was the least respected and having a taicho and a fukutaicho vote against him, that this was the typical result of Rangiku talk. Maybe if he gave her the silent treatment, he would get out of her crazy ideas. Ugh! Who the hell was he kidding, Rangiku would probably snatch him up and make him do it. But... bankai..., "Hell, I'm not going to school," argued Hitsugaya.

"Karin, you should go with him," suggested Kurosaki, completely ignoring Hitsugaya's outburst.

"Huh? Me?" Karin asked to clarify his suggestion.

"Yea, with you and him going to school will mean more slave-I meant people who have a less suspicion at work," Kurosaki smiled at his horrible idea. He was too much of an idiot to not show them he was gonna work them like dogs, "Which means the more money!"

"Ichi-Nii, you're terrible," Karin glared at him. For all they know, Ichigo might even be their boss if they work. Suddenly there was a chill in the air which caused a miracle to happen. Matsumoto and Kurosaki's lips were frozen tight to where all you heard was 'MUA MUH'.

"I told you a thousand time, I am NOT going to school! And don't put my fukutaicho in this, that'll make my life worst," scowled Hitsugaya. A miracle worker if Karin were to describe him. Oh, Hallelujah!

Karin's attention floated to Hitsugaya, "Toshiro, I was meaning to talk to you," she called to him. That which snapped him from his pissed off mood, "In private," she mumbled quietly so that Kurosaki and Matsumoto couldn't hear, but the world was out to get her for some reason.

"Muh ma! Blah...Muh...Blah," you get the idea on how he was cussing out Hitsugaya.

"I have no idea what you said, Kurosaki, but I think I'll beat your ass if you say it clearly," Hitsugaya taunted with a mild face. That just pissed off Kurosaki off. The heat from his anger burned so much to where it melted the ice, or more like Hitsugaya melted it off himself.

"I'd like to see you try, twerp!" Kurosaki clenched his fist in front of Hitsugaya's face.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, "It's amazing to see you're a taicho with that hot temper of yours," Hitsugaya noticed that Karin was getting ready to push her brother to help Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya nodded and noticed there was a column in Kurosaki's path. He froze it with his spiritual pressure and Karin pushed in towards it. Thank's to Kurosaki's big mouth, somehow, his tongue got stuck to the column.

"Hay! Wha da dell? Get mi mongue eoff mof dis ding!" Kurosaki yelled while trying to pry his tongue off of the column, but it resulted the feeling of plucking off his taste buds one by one came. Next, Yamada and Rangiku came to pry Kurosaki off, yet the same feeling came, but worser, "sdop! sdop! sdop!" Kurosaki commanded.

"Don't worry, you're hot temper could melt that no problem," Hitsugaya 'reassured'. That just pissed Kurosaki even more as he pried and pulled with all of his might to get his tongue off the the frozen column, not caring about the pain.

While Kurosaki was yelling two hundred things at once, calling Hitsugaya every cuss word you could think of, but Hitsugaya ignored him and turned to Karin, "Where do you want to talk?" Hitsugaya asked with his usually emotionless face.

Karin, who was startled by the question, stuttered, "U-umm, t-the roof," Karin's voice when out of her control and she squeaked somehow while saying 'roof'. She blushed in embarrassment and looked down. Hitsugaya subconsciously grins at her mistake, but quickly fixes it.

"I need to get my gigai, meet me up there," he commanded then he stormed off before Karin could protest. Karin was left confused and hot-headed, she was happy that Hitsugaya agreed, but thought he was angry with her when he stormed off.

 _Did I actually smile?_ he asked himself, but had an answer in return.

 _Yes, you did_ , Hyorinmaru answered, _You've heard that most unlikely of people fall in love, right._ Hitsugaya didn't like where he was going with this, _Like a fairy and a dragon._

 _You're in love with a fairy?_ Hitsugaya asked his zanpakuto as combined with his gigai.

 _No! You're in love with a fairy._

 _One: I don't know a fairy, Two: When does the dragon come into play._

 _You're a real idiot. Since Kurosaki-Fukutaicho's zanpakuto spirit is based off of a fairy and I'm based off of a dragon, you and Karin are the dragon and fairy._

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, _please don't start that again, I've already had enough of you looking through my mind._

 _So you don't mind what I'm implying_ __

 _GO AWAY!_

 _Whatever you say, Hitsugaya-Sama_

Now Hitsugaya was really pissed off. Dealing with Kurosaki is enough, but dealing with Hyorinmaru prying into his love life is too much. What does a damn ice dragon know about love anyway? Before making his way to the roof, he looked at himself to see if he was presentable or not. He concluded that he didn't look the best, but he was okay.

He stood on the window sill and jumped from there to the edge of the roof to see Karin sitting on the edge of the roof and looking down at the surface of the Earth. He walk towards her silently, yet his footsteps could be heard.

She turned to see who it was, "Toshiro," she mumbled before she stood up to face him. She took a deep breath as he came closer to here. Before she knew it, they were armslength apart from each other, "Hitsugaya-Taicho," she addressed him. Hearing her address him like that made him tensen a bit, but he reluctantly calms down, "I'm sorry if I caused any trouble for you over the last few days," her voice lowed with disappointment, "I'm a fukutaicho, I show be able to take care of my problems on my own I can't have you by my side whenever a shed a tear."

Hitsugaya couldn't believe her words, she didn't want him next to her just because she feels like she's causing him trouble, "Karin, you're not a bother, believe me," Hitsugaya said with a lot of concern, "I know you're strong and all, but we're friends. And when you need my help, I'll be by your side. When you need to be comforted, I'll be here to hold you. When you need to be rescued, I'll be there to help you," he informed with the deepest tone he could make.

"But Hitsugay-"

Hitsugaya sighed at the way she addressed him, "Karin, you can call me Toshiro, it feels weird when you call me Hitsugaya-Taicho," first time he ever said that.

 _You mean it feels like she wants to keep your relationship professional._

 _Shut up, dragon._

"Toshiro, I know you can't just stop in the middle of a mission to just protect me, especially this one," Karin countered.

Hitsugaya's frown lightened a little with thought into her last statement, "Listen, allow me to vow to protect you," he commanded.

"If I'm fighting a battle, I can-" Karin started, but was cut off by Hitsugaya.

"Then you'll stay by my side, no matter what," he solved. Karin sighed, there were hundreds of things that could go wrong with this plan, but she knew his logic was to great to not find a solutions to all her worries. Karin nodded. Toshiro grabbed both of her hands and tightly squeaked them in his own. He pulled her hands in front of both of their faces, "I, Hitsugaya Toshiro, vow to protect you with my life. I will never turn my sword to you nor will I ever abandon you. On everything, I swear." he declared. _Even my love for you._

"I, Kurosaki Karin, vow to stay by your side. Though thin and thick. Through lovers and enemies. Through family and friends. I swear that you and me will always be true friends, even if you or me are to be turned into monster, I will pull you or myself out of the darkness. And..." Karin trailed off. Her eyes became metallic and glittery.

"And..." Hitsugaya added.

"I promise not to die on you," they said at the same time.

* * *

Hueco Mundo's Castle:

"Kurosaki Karin... do we have to kill her?" asked a female who was short female and had caramel skin.

Another voice sighed, "I don't want to do it either," a male with dark blue eyes and pink hair replied.

"Nii-Chan, w-we have to, or Aizen-Sama would kill us," stated a smaller and female version of the male expect she had hazel eyes.

"I would love to die," retorted the male.

"He's the reason while we're still alive!" the older female yelled at him.

"I never wanted to come back to life! I was prepared to die when Toshiro was at our side!" he yelled back at her. The male's name was Katsu, a former friend of Hitsugaya and Hinamori who should be deceased.

"You know what, I never actually wanted to die!" yelled by the older female. She is Kelly, formerly know as Kelly Hankai, a previous friend of the two, also, "Toshiro-Kun was right, I never wanted to die like that. The pain of being something dark in your last moments... is something that no creature should experience." she streamed her hands through her head as she thinks back to the traumatizing experience.

"Katsu-Nii, look what you have done," Nami raced to Kelly's side to calm her down. Ever since that day she was almost turned into a hollow, her powers continuously when out of control whenever she thought to that day. Kelly yelled out in pain as her brain throbbed out of control until she was unconscious from the pain.

"Let her cry in her corner, that coward deserves it for letting her emotions take her. We abandoned emotions years go, why can't she?" Katsu asked coldly.

Nami pity her brother, "I remember you said you used to love her, do you?" Nami asked without thinking. Katsu glared at his sister that represented his answer. He walked out of the room without a word. After Katsu walked out, Fu walked in with Del.

"Like me guess, Katsu brought back memories of the past for Kelly?" Fu adjusted her voice. Nami answered with a slight nod and glanced at the Kelly, "She needs to remember, we are arrancars. We have kill our emotion in our heart so we can serve Aizen-Sama," Fu exposed the bone white fragment of mask to Nami's eyes. Nami's eyes sadden as she place her right hand on the fragment of bone on her mouth that had three rectangle that allowed her to breath and talk.

Kelly's eyes opened with confusion. After her eyes adjusted, she realized Fu's mask. Her hand went to the bone streak that lie on the right side of her face and was drenched in a red color. It's a sad reminder of that she wasn't able to save her friend from future horrors. The bone fragment cover her ear also. In exchange for eyes sight, the hearing in her right ear has ran out. She lead her hand to the piece of mask that lied on the left side of her chin.

Nami's eyes lied on the piece of bone that covered Del's eyes and wrapped itself around his head. She hated the fate of friends, brother, and herself. She knew that it was a cruel fate, but that was the price of cheating the Almighty's wishes of Hitsugaya's death. Nami turned back to the monitor to see Hitsugaya and that Kurosaki girl hand in hand. _By Aizen-Sama's wishes, I will kill Kurosaki Karin. So I can atone for saving Hitsugaya's life._ She glanced at her three friends that stared along for with her at the screen. She saw the fear and sadden in every one of her friend's eyes, the same look she had. _We all need atonement..._


	10. Attack of Memories

_I'm back bitches! DISCLAIMER:_

 ** _I do_** ** _NOT_** ** _own bleach!_**

 _BTW, I'm think about giving Karin-Chan some type of mystical power. Comment if you agree or if this book should be centered around Hitsugaya-Kun's or Karin-Chan's problems._

 _Another BTW, I'm so sorry for not updating in like forever. My computer broke so I had to write the story on my phone and it's a pain in the ass, especially with spell check. And I already had a chapter planned out, but the damn library computer deleted the whole damn thing._

* * *

 _The men of the fifth division experienced the appearance of the higher ranking group that Yama-jin sent on that mission to stop those dead taicho,_ thought Kuna Mashiro, taicho of the fifth division. She sighed at the problem, not wrapping her head around why her division would empathize such a thing in the report that got from the attack caused by Shiba. She leaned back in the office chair and sprung around to the window behind her that was almost the size of the wall, "Kensei, you really have to be the biggest idiot ever. You should be the one having to deal with this confusing reports," Kuna mumbled under her breath before closing her eyes.

Right when she felt herself about doze off, her third seat busted through the door without warning, "Taicho!" yelled Saoshi Makoto, third seat of the fifth division. Kuna was startled by Saoshi's outburst and fell back in her chair and bumped her head on the wooden pallets, "Taicho?" unsurely called Saoshi as he stand at the door, hesitant to check up his captain.

Kuna raised her hand to show as a sign she was okay, "I'm fine," she assured with a weary voice, "What is it, Makoto?" Saoshi sweatdropped at his taicho and for her saying his first name. He never felt comfortable with a superior ranking officer calling him by his first name.

Saoshi shrugged it off and answered her question, "Well, Kuna-Taicho, Yamamoto-Sotaicho assigned a meeting for today at this time," he informed, which made Kuna sit up with alarm, "So since..." Saoshi trailed off to just realize that Kuna-Taicho just shunpo'd away. He sighed and continued with his assignment and kicking unseated shinigami ass.

* * *

Meanwhile, Yamamoto sits at his desk, getting ready for the upcoming taicho meeting. He smirks maniacally as he plays out his sinister plan in his head. Little did anyone know, he wasn't really Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai. His identity is still unknown to anyone...

 _It's time for Kurosaki Shiba Ichigo to be exile from his second life, permanently._ A maniacal laugh enveloped the ears of the first division, yet no one gave it attention. _Aizen-Sama will be pleased with me._

* * *

The Next Day:

"Toshiro!" called Karin as she spins in midair to avoid an attack from a hollow and landed gracefully on the lush grass. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at Karin's showy dodge and appeared behind the hollow. Without the follow of Karin's eyes, blood covered the hollow as it splinters into black nothingness and vanish. Hitsugaya slightly smirks at the girl. Karin rolls her eyes at the attack an puffed her cheeks.

"Anyway, that was the last of them," Hitsugaya shrugged off Karin's pouts and converts to his taicho mode. He sheathed Hyorinmaru and shunpo'd back to the current Hanakari residence. Startled by Hitsugaya's disappearance, she follows him by shunping back with an uncomfortable atmosphere.

When they got back to the residence, the two walked in with silence, giving the lively group a raincheck on doing anything fun, well except for Matsumoto. Kurosaki was yelling at Yamada for some unexplainable reason, Hinamori was warning Matsumoto not to drink in the house, and Matsumoto seem to be drinking and somehow Inoue was dragged into it.

"I told you that it's the middle of the day, you can't drink in the middle of the day," Hinamori gave the two a lecture. Then she directed her lecture to Inoue, "Orihime-Taicho, how did you get drunk too?" she asked while sweatdropping.

Inoue laughed a bunch while spilling sake all over the carpet, swinging it around and around, "I have no idea! But wait! I'm not drunk at all!" she giggled and laughed some more. Then she fell straight on her back with her feet in the air.

"Orihime-Taicho, you shouldn't do that!" yelled Hinamori, the only sane one there except for the two shinigami walking through the door. Yet, it was too late. Everyone in the room got a great view of white. Kurosaki's face was red as his strawberry hair, Yamada just passed out, and Hitsugaya blushed a little and looked away. Karin on the other hand freaked and went to pull Inoue's legs down in a second.

"Orihime-San, guys are here," Karin begged while trying to pulled down her stubborn legs. Hinamori and Karin had to sit on legs to finally have her laying flat on the ground, but that didn't help Kurosaki's reddened face. Karin wiped the sweat off her face and turned to Hinamori, "Do you have any idea how to sober them up?" she asked, but Hinamori answered in a shake of her head.

Karin turned to the men, but all of them signaling they have no idea, well Hitsugaya can help with Matsumoto, "I'm only sobering Matsumoto," he stated clearly. Hitsugaya offered to take off the least of their worries. If things continued like this, Inoue maybe half-naked in ten minutes. And no one except certain people would want that.

Just before, Hitsugaya was about to through Matsumoto off the second floor window, a reiatsu arose. Everyone was on edge as serious and worried glances filled the room. Hitsugaya, acting startled, accidently dropped Matsumoto to the bushes. Surprisingly, being thrown off a window wasn't enough for Matsumoto to worry about, but she was at least sober, they hoped. She was focused on the intense reiatsu.

Hitsugaya rushed downstairs to the slightly frightened group and yelled, "Karin!" and she swallowed a gikongan sprung into action along with Hitsugaya and they busted through the door, more accurately, they busted the door... down.

ANYWAY! Not worrying about the broken door, they shunpo'd to the area with the reiatsu. Hitsugaya's gut tells him not to go, but he pushes through his body's wishes. As soon as he makes that decision, three reiatsu can be clearly made out, all of them fairly powerful. They seem so familiar to Hitsugaya that it messed with his mind. He felt as if he was going to mentally or physically empty the contents of his breakfast.

Karin, on the other hand, had an uneasy aura radiating from her. The fact is, in these reiatsu ahead, she can feel Hitsugaya's reiatsu mixed somewhere in the equation. Karin looked over to her superior to see his face is distort and distraught. Her looked deepened at the thought that Hitsugaya was in pain and she couldn't help him, but what is killing her even more was that there was possibility that Hitsugaya will have to face a dear friend of his, either from his living life, or afterlife.

When that finally got there, three figures were visible in the blue sky, one was super short, another was tall, and the last one was a little bit taller than the first figure. Something that was odd to the both of them was that even though they were so far away, they could clearly see the numbers that have been burned on their bodies. The first figure's number was five, the second figure's number was three, and the third figure's number was six.

All three of them descend from the sky and to the ground where Karin and Hitsugaya stands. This time it was clear, two females and one male, yet they were Espada. The first one was a small girl that looked no more than the age of twelve. She had lush, mid-length pink hair that swished in the wind. Her uniform was the general arrancar color. It was a chinese style cheongsam without the color. She had a bun in her hair with a black pink through the bun. Her broken mask was like a killer mask made of bone that cuts off at her eyes. The burn that marked her five was clear upon her hand.

The second one was a male that looked the age of twenty. He had pink hair just like the younger one but his hair was short and not a lush as his companion's. He had a cold blue stare that could rival Hitsugaya's. His uniform was arrancar colored. He had a long jacket that sweep the ground, but was clean as can be. His shirt was a button up and his pants were the general arrancar. His broken mask was like a white headband that lay across his forehead. His burn was stained under his right eyes for everyone to bare witness to his burden and sin.

The third figure was a female that look very emotional distressed. She looked to be about in her twenties and had flowing green locks that was a green as the ocean. Her eyes were white as a cloud, but her pupil couldn't be seen in the white sea. She had on a kimono like shirt that didn't cover her shoulder's at all. She had denim like pants. Her uniform was covered in the dull covers of black and white. A cloth of her shirt was about to sway off, but under it lied a burn at represented her as the eighth Espada. Red colored mask fragment swish from her forehead to her left cheek while a chip of pure white mask lay on the right side of her chin and end at her lower right cheek.

Hitsugaya sensed something oddly familiar about the three. His head was hurting too much to wrap his head around it, "Nii-Sama, Hitsugaya and that Kurosaki girl is stand right in front of us," the pink-haired girl informed. The hair around over her forehead covered most of her eyes, leaving the sorrow that shone unacknowledged by the two.

The male hummed in a serious way, like he was surveying something. He replied immediately after the humm, "Hitsugaya Toshiro, a taicho of the Gotei thirteen. Has a bad history Central 46 and with Aizen-Sama. Am I about correct?" the male asked. Hitsugaya tensed at the information the arrancar had on him. That just made him want to bang his head against the concrete even more. His voice, his face, his eyes, so familiar, yet so foreign.

What had him next was when he said, " And you, Kurosaki Karin, known as the brute queen in the Shin'o Academy. Sister of the legend Kurosaki Ichigo and made fukutaicho of the strongest division in the Gotei thirteen because of her skill in the Academy. That seem accurate," his cold and senseless glare shifted to Karin. Shivers went down her spine to where she felt like clutching upon Hitsugaya's shoulder. She gulped and gripped the hilt of her zanpakuto.

The green-haired girl sighed, "Katsu-Kun, don't tease them. These children can't be them," she turned her head from the two pinkettes. You could tell she was lying from the look on her face. As soon as Hitsugaya heard the name _"Katsu"_ , memories of the pinkette filled his minds. His head pounded with a headache, he held his hand with his hand in a desperate to suppress the headache.

"Katsu..." he mumbled, sounding almost like gibberish, "Hankai... Nari... Hakara..." his eyes shot straight to the pink haired girl. Images of a smaller version of her. His heartbeat increased in panic. He can hear the smaller girl's voice calling, _"Hitsugaya-Kun!"_. "Nami!"

"Hitsugaya-Kun," the smaller arrancar pathetically begged, "Don't resist us. Die quietly so we can find atonement," she aligned her vision to Hitsugaya's distraught face. They made eye contact, and Hitsugaya could see the seriousness in her eyes. The deadly intention, the sorrowful and pitiful clenches of his fist, she really wanted to kill him. That sweet little girl who always smiled and laughed and want Hitsugaya to play with her was now sending Hitsugaya a death threat.

"I am Nami, the fifth Espada. I represent the aspect of death that is known as sins," her voice was slightly muffled by the mask, but it was clear, she has no emotion. No happiness, no joy, no excitement, nothing. If she had emotion, it would be a bit of sorrow.

"I am Katsu, the third Espada. I represent the aspect of death known as regret," his voice was a dull as Nami's, but it had absolutely no emotion at all.

"I am Kelly, the eighth Espada. I represent the aspect of death that is pain," Kelly's voice was filled with emotion. Her death intoxicated his mind. Her yelling and her smile and her tears was just extra drops of pain that clouds his mind. The emotion in her voice clearly reflected sadness and fear.

Karin couldn't take it anymore, she had to check up on Hitsugaya, "Toshiro, are you okay?" she asked him softly, never taking a hand off. Hitsugaya collapsed to his knees and coughed up a hack of blood. Karin's eyes widen and look at the man she once loved coughing blood that could cause him to die. With anger, Karin unsheathed her zanpakuto and slashed it toward the three. The three shunpo'd to the side in the same order.

Kelly turned to Katsu and Nami, "Katsu-Kun, Nami-Chan, let me handle this weakling and I capture Toshiro-Kun, don't worry. Defeat the greater power within this town, Kurosaki Ichigo, and gather Momo-Chan. Tell her that Aizen-Sama has determined her time," Kelly commanded. Katsu and Nami shunpo'd away to follow Kelly's suggestion.

Karin shouted, "Pierce! Jikanousama!" she thrusted the golden blade through Kelly's gut, but before the blade made impact, Kelly shunpo'd away. This pattern continued almost endlessly, "If he dies, I'll kill you and your friends! I swear it!" she threw Jikanousama in the air and glide her hands around like the wind. She swished her hand forwards, towards Kelly.

The zanpakuto spun like a fan. The scythe turned invisible. Kelly rolled her eyes and caught the zanpakuto, but what she didn't except was an invisible blade in her hand. she whispered, "Jikan teisoku mōdo," while snapping her fingers.

Kelly opening her mouth slightly to say something while looking at her palm to see blood trickling down her arm and staining her clothing. Her body started to move slower and slower. Karin positions her hand to grab something and up in the air, yet to be brought by her chest. Jikanousama retreated it's invisible blade and floating in the air. Karin sliced the air with her arm and the zanpakuto followed her action but instead carved a scar through Kelly's head.

To Karin's surprised, the arrancar that she injured disintegrated into nothing. Karin felt a reiatsu behind her and turned to face the reiatsu, but before she knew what happened she was cut to the ground. Kelly looked upon Karin's bloody body with a face that looked like she was about to burst into tears, "I'm sorry, Kurosaki-San, but it's the end for you," she unsheathed her katana that was located at her lower back. She thrusted the blade through the air. Karin thought she was going to die.

"Damnit, Karin!"

* * *

"Toshiro! Karin!" shouted Kurosaki. The reiatsu frightened him for a second, but after that moment of hesitation, he swallowed the Kon gikongan and separated from his gigai. Just when he was about to shunpo to the absent two shinigami, Inoue blocked his way. Her shun shun rikka created an sunset colored, triangle shield, "Get out of my way, Orihime!" he commanded. He turned around to her. Her cold glance gave her more authority and seriousness.

She immediately answered, "That's impossible in this situation," her voice was loud and had get power in it. It frightened everyone in the room, "Kurosaki-Taicho, I am a taicho and have a close relationship with Karin-San, too. Which means I am as worried and stressed as you are. But she has Hitsugaya-Kun with her," Inoue continued.

She sighed slightly and began to walk towards Kurosaki, "You're an idiot, you know. You're reckless, immature, and self-conscious, and..." she was lost for words, "Karin-San and Hitsugaya-Kun are strong...and together they are a force to reckon with," she assured Kurosaki.

Kurosaki trembled with anxiety and fear, "I know, I know, it's just I am afraid to lose my sister again!" yelled Kurosaki. The emotion and worry in his voice tensed the air significantly, "Toshiro couldn't protect her before, what makes you think he can now!"

Inoue glared at his yelling and mentally stomped it in the ground, "What makes you think Hitsugaya-Kun is the same person he was back then!" the strictness in her voice leveled up. Her words made Kurosaki repeat them in his head a million times over, "I've heard from every patient from the tenth division that every since the mission with the arrancars, Hitsugaya-Kun has been so brave and training like his life depends on it. You can put your full trust in him, I know it," Inoue explained.

Kurosaki sighed as a sign that he gave in to Inoue's reassurance, "Plus, we have greater problems. Yuzu-San and her children are defenceless. Hanakari went to work so he will be useless. Those three only have the ability to see ghost, not to fight them. Since they all have exceptionally high reiatsu. I suggest you protect them first," Inoue turned her back to Kurosaki and began to walk up stairs.

Kurosaki, in a rush, ran out the door and jumped to the roof. He huffed with tension and uneasiness, searching for the reiatsu of Yuzu, Jin, and Yuki. Before he knew it, Inoue was by his side. She was searching for the reiatsu, too, but she had a calm expression.

"Ichigo! I found them," Inoue informed. Kurosaki nodded and the both of them shunpo'd to the scene. The first thing they saw was blood. Lots of it, too. Two arrancars stood superior to the massacre. The shorter one had a random child in between her palms and she tugged each limb apart until they body split in two. Blood stained her pale peach hands. The red liquid dripped to the ground slowly, not wasting a single second taunting the two taicho. Bodies ripped and scattered, blood spread across the area, eyes that are duller with no life available to the bodies. It made their skin crawl. Yuzu... Yuki... Jin...


	11. Pain

_Hey! DISCLAIMER:_

 _ **I do**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **own bleach**_ __

 _BTW, to explain somethings with this chapter, this all depends on my theories!_

 _One: Kurosaki-San's true zanpakuto! I read chapter 678 a few weeks ago, which got me fricking mad because Yhwach just broke his new bankai just when he got it back, but that's beside the point. I read it before I made chapter 5 so with that one, I just did his lame bankai (if you're reading ). Now, with his unreleased zanpakuto argument, after searching the internet for theories or if I just missed the chapter where it showed his unreleased zanpakuto, I decided that his old shikai is his unreleased zanpakuto. Plus I made his release command is slaughter._

 _Two: What the hell is Orihime-San! To put it bluntly, I think she's a descendant of the Soul King. I know what you're think, if she was, she would have been able to heal Kurosaki-San when Ulquiorra blast a huge hole through him, or would have been able to heal the Soul King. Well, my explanation for that is that her power wasn't developed enough. Argue all you want, or comment your theories, maybe I'll consider it and edit my story if I'm not lazy. Also, I changed Orihime-San's bankai (Again, if you're reading ). Also, sorry for Orihime-San's character development if you don't like it._

* * *

"Where are the taicho of the fourth, fifth, and tenth divisions!" a hoarse growl was heard throughout the first division. During a taicho meeting, the topic of where Hitsugaya and Kurosaki is was a frequent conversation, "Where were they last spotted!" Yamamoto-Sotaicho shouted at his aides.

The captains present are taicho of the second division, Sarugaki Hiyori. Taicho of the third division, Kira Izuru. Taicho of the sixth division, Kuchiki Rukia. Taicho of the seventh division, Hisagi Shuhei. Taicho of the eighth division, Kuna Mashiro. Taicho of the ninth division, Ayasegawa Yumichika. Taicho of the eleventh division, Madarame Ikkaku. Taicho of the twelfth division, Kusajishi Yachiru. Finally, Taicho of the thirteen division, Abarai Renji.

"The shinigami of the fifth division last saw them when the attack of Shiba Isshin lost spirit attacked the Seireitei. They reported when Shiba retreated, Kurosaki Karin ran after him and the others were forced to follow," Kuna-Taicho reported. This report angered Yamamoto because this did nothing to give them a lead of the traitors who abandoned the Soul Society in a crisis. He already knew this piece of information.

"I want those traitors' heads at my feet! Immediately!" Yamamoto slammed his staff on the ground loudly, it even shook a couple taicho out of their composed stands. "Their cowardly behinds go and run off to the World if the Living just to avoid a punishment. When they are capture they'll die. Abarai and Kuchiki I want you in the human world. Bring all your men if you have to. Bring them back!" Yamamoto rambled on. Heat filled the room to where everyone just wanted to strip. Rukia was beyond the point of melt, sweat was beading down her face and even fell unconscious.

Renji gave a half-hearted sigh and walked to Rukia's aid. Whenever Yamamoto gets anger like this, she or sometimes even Hitsugaya passes out in a millisecond. They've gotten so used to it to where they would not even worried about it, leaving it to Abarai, Kurosaki, or Inoue.

 _That damn idiot Ichigo, he better make it back or he's in for hell in the Soul Society. Putting Rukia through another one of the Sotaicho's fits._ Abarai curse Kurosaki while helping Kuchiki

Hiyori interrupted his scowling by saying, "And I for one would not capture that baldy Kurosaki. I've been involved in too many of his problems lately. He's the main cause for many of the problems within the last few ages," Hiyori grunted. Kurosaki is a great comrade and valuable shinigami to everyone there, but they couldn't help but agree. For example, the Fullbringers. Yes, he did help the Soul Society find Ginjo, but because of his weakness and his stupid father teaching him a move that took away his shinigami powers, three Taicho, three fukutaicho, and a third seat was away from the Soul Society for a mission that everyone one of them said was _" A piece of cake"._

They all groaned as they looked over the last few decades. Hisagi sighed and said his ideas "To be completely honest, Sarugaki-Taicho is correct. Not to mention his rivalry with Hitsugaya-Taicho. What makes it worst is the two are together. Also with the root of their constant hate of each other is on the mission-" he was cut off by Yamamoto's sudden slam of his staff onto the wooden pallets.

"Are you implying that Kurosaki, Inoue, and Hitsugaya are still focused on their mission?" Yamamoto's crust and old voice grazed on their ear drums, the death in his voice teased the taicho to where they could barely stand to be in the room. Hisagi winced at the Sotaicho's evaluation on the absent taicho, their fukutaicho, and Hinamori.

The seventh taicho gulped before countering, "Well, it is a possibility that they might just be carrying out this mission in the Human World," Hisagi with a restive tone and twitched after every second of speaking. The tensity of the Sotaicho's glared increased.

Just when the tension was so thick, only a steak knife could cut through it, a lowly level shinigami burst through the doors, "Sotaicho-Sama!" shouted the shinigami. All eyes were collected onto him. The Yamamoto's rage increased by a hair.

"What is the meaning of this! We are in the middle of a meeting!" Yamamoto boomed loudly. The shinigami trembled at the sight of the glare, it burned a hole through his confidence.

The random shinigami gulped from the stares of taicho in the room, but mostly from the Sotaicho, "The thirteenth was ordered to conduct a search on the Senkaimon and the Dangai, but it seems that all the Senkaimon to the world of the living are closed off. The thirteenth and twelfth divisions are looking more into the problem," the shinigami nervously reported.

"WHAT!" growled the anger Yamamoto. Even though this isn't a surprise to the true arrancar self he is, Yamamoto would be surprised and right then, he is Yamamoto, "You are dismissed, tell both divisions to report to their taicho and to me once they know the cause," Yamamoto shooed him off. The shinigami hightailed out of the tense room of the taicho meeting room. Even though usually they speak of trivial things when there isn't a crisis, so would say they are quite childish.

Kusajishi expressed worry in her voice, "Do you think it could be Shiba or Whitey-Chan, Icchi, or Jiggle?" she mumbled to herself, even though everyone heard her mumbles. Kuchiki and Abarai knew the answer to her question.

Finally regaining consciousness, Kuchiki sighed, "For sure, it was no one of them," all eyes fell on her, "Ichigo has protected the Soul Society for ages, Inoue is the same, plus she's to kind to even show a threat against us, This situation is out of personality for Hitsugaya-Taicho, and Kurosaki-I mean Shiba is not able to do this, at least not with his free will," Kuchiki concluded.

"What about the Oin and the fact that Inoue basically abandoned the Soul Society when she was taken by the arrancar," Sarugaki bluntly recalled. This quiet everyone in the room, "Hitsugaya was involved with the Oin's disappearance, that's it. I'm surprised the wimpy Gotei 13 didn't have him exile, much less have him regain his-" Sarugaki was interrupted by Yamamoto.

"Watch your place, Sarugaki-Taicho!" Yamamoto boomed. Sarugaki rolled her eyes.

"And to appoint Inoue to taicho level is ludicrous! After her years in the Shin'o, she just waltzed up in here, showed off her bankai, and became a taicho just like that! You hadn't considered the possibility that baldy Aizen or those arrancar did something to her! She could be a spy!" Sarugaki shouted at the remaining taicho. They didn't want to believe it, but again, Sarugaki had a point.

Yamamoto calmed down and considered the following, even though he knows nothing of the sorts happened to Inoue, he lead out a great sigh, "Sarugaki-Taicho, you have given me a lot to think about. I dismiss this meeting and Kusajishi-Taicho and Abarai-Taicho, like I said, I want those reports immediately after you get them," Yamamoto slammed his staff upon the ground and the nine taicho exited the room.

* * *

Kurosaki fumed a huge rage at the sight, "You bastards, who the hell are you to kill all these children!" Inoue noticed this rage by signaling a grunt. The two arrancar stare at Kurosaki with interest and the lust to kill him.

"This will be fun, won't it Nii-Sama?" the female asked while shaking the blood off of her left hand to expose the proud burn of an Espada. Inoue and Kurosaki flinched at the number carved into her body.

"Of course it will be, we have two taicho in front of us, even though we are greatly more powerful," the male answered while running his hand through the right side of his bangs, exiling the shadow that descended upon the number three on his right cheek.

"I am Nami, Espada 5. I've said it once and I'll say it again, I represent sins," she glared at the pair of redheads. She sounded emotionless and serious, there was even a deadly intent behind her voice. Kurosaki would make a remark about her age and status, but seeing that Karin and Hitsugaya are young, but have a very high status, it's kinda hard to pull a joke about that.

Next it was the male's turn, "I am Katsu, I carry the title of third Espada. What I represent is regret. Now I ask you, what are your names and title," his face showed all seriousness. At least he wasn't acting like a creep like he did with the introductions of Hitsugaya and Karin.

Kurosaki answered instantly, "Kurosaki Ichigo, taicho of the fifth division," he scoffed with a lot of overconfidence and cockiness. Inoue comprehended that Kurosaki needs a slap back into reality. On the other hand, Katsu and Nami are not amused by his attitude in the slight, Katsu should have been a creep instead.

After mentally facepalming, Inoue introduced, "I am Inoue Orihime, taicho of the fourth division. I am the wielder of the Shun Shun Rikka and granddaughter of the Soul King," Nami's glare intensified to Inoue. Both of the Espada conclude that she's a problem to their success, they had to take both of them out in this battle.

The air was tense and dull, Inoue felt sweat shedding from her forehead, it was enough to where she could cry right there. Without further ado, Kurosaki, with his unreleased, kitchen knife zanpakuto, made the first move by slashing them quickly, but the arrancar used sonido to dodge it swiftly. Inoue followed his movements by shunping behind the arrancar and slashing them with Ayame, but once again they dodged easily.

Nami sighed with disappointment, "You two surely put shame to your names," she rolled her eyes and drew her zanpakuto from the sheath that was located on her thigh and thrusted her zanpakuto towards the pair, "I believe it's our turn," she said quietly, but loud enough to send chills down both of their spines. After her whisper, Katsu unsheathed his zanpakuto from his back and pointed it to the ground.

Nami gathered power at the end of her katana to where a pink light glowed and grew and grew. A look of amuse flashed upon Nami's face at the look of the two shinigami. A second later, she released the cero, destroying everything in it's path. Kurosaki and Inoue shunpo'd out of the way and appeared before them.

"Slaughter! Zangetsu!"

"Restore, Ayame!"

Kurosaki's zanpakuto transformed into two dual blades, one shorter than the other. he positioned them in a "x" over his stomach and lower chest. Inoue's zanpakuto extended twice her unreleased katana release. There was a black glow in the middle of the sword once it had grown, and from there, black vines spread throughout the blade and encircled it uncountable times. Red roses bloomed on the lower right corner and higher right corner. Lastly, the sharper end of the blade turned dark black. She holds Ayame high and tall to where it shined as it transformed.

The taicho both slashed their zanpakuto down onto the enemy in unison, but Katsu blocked Kurosaki's Zangetsu easily and Nami used sonido to get behind Inoue. She kicked Inoue in her butt to where she tripped and lost her balance. Inoue shunpo'd further from the arrancar and to avoid the fall. Inoue glared at the young girl, _she plays dirty..._ Inoue thought in her head.

"Don't tell me that's all you have," Nami glared at her. At that exact moment, Kurosaki was overpowered by Katsu's strength and shunpo'd next to Inoue. Katsu rolled his eyes with annoyance and turned his gaze Nami with a glare. She was startled by it and showed it by grunt, but she ignored it and gazed at the two.

Kurosaki's face turned serious and whispered to Inoue, "What do you have to report?" he asked, still having his eye on the enemy.

Inoue grunted at his question, "I wasn't able to test her strength, but her speed exceeds a taicho's expectation greatly. She's almost on Yoruichi-San's level. She's trouble indeed. And you?" Inoue asked the question back. Kurosaki's glare increased.

"His strength is power. I could barely counter or even stand up to his physical strength, what's worst is I only last two second," Kurosaki gritted his teeth. That look subsided with a grin, "But it's not as bad as getting kicked in the butt by a twelve year old," he teased Inoue. Inoue blushed from embarrassment and looked at Kurosaki.

Veins was shown from her red face, "This isn't the time to be messing with me!" she shouted then furrowed her eyebrows and looked back at her enemy, "Geez, every since I was in the Shin'o Academy, you liked to point fun at me," she mumbled under her breath, "Anyway, we have to be serious if we want to win this fight. We already evaluated that they are a powerful foe," she gripped Ayame's hilt tighter to where her zanpakuto.

"You ready, Orihime?" he asked in a soft voice, his eyes reflecting determination. Inoue's slightly red face reflected the same look, except for the embarrassment mixed in.

Inoue took a deep breath in to calm her anxiety, "Of course," she blinked twice as a signal for them to attack, "Zanshun! Shun'o! Kaihō shimasu!" Inoue shouted. White markings appeared on her collarbone, right cheek, and wrists, glowing proudly as the attack release. Orange colored reiatsu made it's way at the end of her blade, "Reject," she whisper quietly. Right after she whispered that, she pointed Ayame towards her enemies.

The all waited several seconds, but nothing happened, Katsu rolled his eyes, "Making that big a deal over nothing? Are you trying to trick us?" he demanded. Inoue smirked, which puzzled all three of them. Kurosaki has never actually seen Inoue fight. For her examination to be a taicho, he wasn't able to be there to see her beat her opponent.

"Are you sure you're not feeling some?' Inoue asked with a crooked smile. Katsu raise his eyebrow to her question, "Not feeling a bit weaker?" at that second, the two pinkettes fell to their knees. It was caused by the taicho reiatsu. He wonder why they were so suddenly affected by their reiatsu and why they were affected at all, "This spell rejects the time and effort one has put in their abilities and their development in reiatsu. In other words, you have lost most of your reiatsu for the time being, maybe even forgot a couple of your techniques."

Kurosaki's face was priceless and fearful, "You're scary, Orihime," he bluntly mumbled. Katsu and Nami's face showed pure struggle.

"Ichigo-Kun, this is your chance, look for your niece, nephew, and sister," she commanded with a serious look, "This isn't going to last long, at the most you have twenty minutes. I'll hold them off for now," she reassured. Kurosaki grunted and thought over Inoue's commands and go after his sister, "GO!" she shouted with anger. Being scared that Inoue may have an ability to control his movements or worst, he ran off to do exactly what she said.

 _If this is what she can do during shikai, just think what she could do during bankai!_

* * *

"Damnit, Karin!" shouted Hitsugaya. After him shaking off the feeling of dying, he shunpo'd quickly to Karin's aid. He kicked Kelly's zanpakuto to the curb. Kelly with a slight surprised face looked upon Hitsugaya's face, "Hankai what the hell are you doing!" he scolded her. Kelly looked at her with an emotionless face.

"I thought I already said this, I am capturing you and destroying the Kurosaki Karin, Did you hear or was you so busy spilling your blood out that you couldn't hear your girlfriend's screams," she glared at him. Hitsugaya's cheeks turned slightly red as he unsheathe his zanpakuto.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Hitsugaya yelled as he tried to slash her senselessly. Kelly jumped out of the way, into the air. While she was in the air, Hitsugaya shunpo'd in front of Kelly, but only to be kicked a few dozen meters away. He stayed airborne but was forced to stiffen his legs.

Kelly looked at him with that same innocent look he'd just recalled, "By the way my name is Kelly, just Kelly. I have abandoned my last name along with my emotions," she informed while her zanpakuto appeared into her hand. Hitsugaya and Karin couldn't believe her in the slightest bit.

Hitsugaya remarked, "If that's so, why is there so much sorrow in your eyes?" there was silence for several seconds. His eyes were so fierce and so serious to where Karin and Kelly wouldn't look away. Kelly grinded her teeth together with anger.  
 _  
Why...? Why...? Why is my weakness so easily seen by everyone? Pain...that's what I represent, right? I never asked myself why Aizen-Sama gave me that aspect of death. Is it because of the way I died...or because of something else?  
_ **  
Flashback:  
**  
 _"Katsu-Kun," Kelly called with a sad aura. Katsu turned around to see her. She noticed his surprised expression that flashed for a second, "You didn't notice me, did you Katsu-Kun? You're losing your touch," she pathetically chuckled._

 _Katsu said nothing and looked back at the emptiness of Hueco Mundo. The desert of nothing with no real value. It expresses nothing and only sadden the Espada and arrancar that was stationed at the palace. Kelly's thoughts on the scenery was interrupted by Katsu's unexplainable voice and tone, "Why are you crying?" he asked bluntly._

 _Kelly was shocked by his examination upon herself. She touched her face to feel the wet, salty warmth of tears._ _ **Why am I crying?**_ _she asked herself, "How are you able to know I'm crying when I don't?" she asked him with a calm and emotional voice._

 _Katsu chuckled, "You are just that easy to read..." this line broke Kelly's heart a little.  
_ **  
End of Flashback:**

Tears flowed down her face with anger and sadness, "Pain...this is what I am! This pain will kill you if it's necessary! Aizen-Sama only needs your corpse!" she yelled. Kelly held her zanpakuto out, "Get ready to feel the wrath of Espada eight, Kelly! Shed your tears! Kurushimi!" she held her zanpakuto high. As she chanted her zanpakuto's name, it scattered into nothing. Her bone mask expanded to about half of her face and the edges around the eye was painted red. The mask fragment on her chin extended up the side of her face and covered her ear.

She had four weapons. One was wrapped around her right hand with five katan like blades circling each finger. She had two large katana's in her hand and a very large white katana hovering over her head. Her outfit changed, too. Her top transformed into a half top that ended at her cleavage and was more open and free plus her sleeves were still the same, her pants turned into more like hakama pants that shows her hips clearly and are barely being held up by a cloth. The pure white rings encircled her while she had pure white bone wings that shone in the lighting.

Hitsugaya looked confuse, not at her transformation, but at her statement. _"Aizen-Sama only needs your corpse!"_ he thought that once a spirit dies, it disintegrates into blue nothingness, "What do you mean! Souls don't have corpse!" he shouted loudly.

Kelly chuckled a bit, "How did we gain the corpse of the former taicho? We brought back their soul, just without their conscience," she look at Hitsugaya with those pitiful and sorrowful eyes, "I really don't want to do this, but I'm forced to," she sighed, "Hitsugaya Toshiro."

Hitsugaya called out, "Sit upon the Frost Heavens, Hyorinmaru," 


	12. To Exceed

_I ran out of greetings... DISCLAIMER:_

 _ **I do**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **own bleach!**_

 _Another BTW, I cannot wait until I can show all their Kokai, Genkai, and Yunkai (Yes, I made this with google's lame translation) you'll find out more in this chapter. They are going to be awesome!_

* * *

"Sit upon the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru," Hitsugaya's voice expressed no emotion as his zanpakuto magically transformed into the same katana with a guard. Kelly, with Kurushimi, glared at him, for a second, her eyes were just as dull as Katsu's. Karin slightly smiled at Hitsugaya's bold and daring look.

"Toshiro..." she mumbled with much weakness. She then heard footsteps coming from behind, her heartbeat stopped for a second. Now she knew she was going to die if someone was coming from behind. She trembled in fear and awaited her painful death.

Her fear subsided and was replaced with surprise once she heard, "Fulfill, Hisagomaru!" shouted the innocent voice of the fourth division's second seat. Karin exhaled a breath in relief, she allowed the kido to heal her wound and seconds after, she felt good as new.

She stood up on her feet and looked behind her to see Yamada with his same scalpel zanpakuto. He twisted the zanpakuto in his hand with a smirk plastered on his face, "Thanks, Yamada-Kun," she moderately grinned, but it was very pathetic. Yamada noticed this right away, but said nothing about it and focused on the outset of the fight between Hitsugaya-Taicho and eighth Espada, Kelly.

"Hitsugaya-Taicho is about to take on that girl, she must be considerately powerful for him to raise his reiatsu so high, especially since hollows can be attracted to this town very soon," Yamada observed. Karin turned her sights to the two who were preparing for their battle that is just seconds due. Karin's eyes sadden as soon as she lays her eyes upon the both of them.

"Hitsugaya-Taicho... he have to fight because of me. If I wasn't so weak, then he wouldn't have to face someone who he knew so well-" she was cut off by Yamada. Karin heart faltered when she heard his words.

"If he really didn't want to fight an old friend, he would still have to fight," Karin felt her chest fall, "If you win or lose, it won't matter. Since she is very powerful, he'll have to face or sooner or later, it's just sooner. So don't blame yourself, Kurosaki-Fukutaicho," Yamada commanded with an inspiring and strict voice. She calmed down with an inaudible breath.

Her grin widen, "Yea, thanks again, Yamada," silence, "Thanks for setting me straight," she held her head up high with pride, _You can do it Hitsugaya-Taicho, no you can do it Toshiro_ , she thought warmly in her head. With that thought, the battle engaged.

With her two, black swords, she slashes the air with much fury. At that moment, Hitsugaya takes off by shunping closer to her and taking a slash at her. He expected her to block it easily, but Hyorinmaru went right through her body. Kelly appeared behind him and attacked by extending all the blades on her fingers. Hitsugaya tried to block the attack, but once again, to his revelation, Hyorinmaru couldn't even touch her Kurushimi. He ended up shunping a few meters away just to avoid.

From Yamada and Karin's point of view, they just saw a little kid playing with his new sword, "You do know you can't hit her from all the way over there, right?" Karin asked while her and Yamada sweatdropped.

Ignoring her comment, Hitsugaya still tried to fend off Kelly's attack. After the second hit, he concluded that it was another one of Kelly's illusion. She would fight dirty by messing with one's mind until they are unstable, but he was smart enough not to fall for the same trick twice. But he knew by her explaining her powers long ago, that if her sword, in this case Kurushimi, was to touch you in her illusion, you would still feel it. She can alter reality in one's point of view. It seems impossible, but Tosen had a similar ability in bankai, but he took away senses, she's controlling sensing.

After having enough of the annoying illusion attacks and making himself look like an idiot, he shunpo'd randomly in different direction to keep himself moving so he could avoid the attacks. Hitsugaya focused on the reiatsu of the Espada, trying to find the real her. After doing so, a figure that looked exactly like her illusion copies appeared in the back of the mirage of Kellys in his path.

He focuses his reiatsu on his blade to thicken up its density in reiatsu and shunpo in front of the further away Kelly. Finally, he landed a blow on her, making all her little minions disappear as well, "Nice job, Toshiro-Kun," she whispered with a sadistic smile, "But not good enough!" she growled. During his slash, she kicked him in the gut, sending him about a few kilometers in the air. The pressure of the attack was amazing, even with Hitsugaya's god-like strength, he couldn't slow down, much less stop it, the force of the blow.

"Damnit, I need to stop this roller coaster before she takes on Karin and Yamada," he mumbled to himself positioning his arms in an "x" in a desperate attempt to stop the force and the annoying wind blowing through his hair. Finally, when the force calmed down, he shunpo'd as quick as ever to resume his fight and to protect his subordinates in the fight, _I'm coming Karin, you better not be bloody or even die before I get down there._

* * *

Meanwhile, _Damn, it has only been five minutes, but they're able to get up_ , Inoue thought helplessly, trying with all her might to keep her two opponents down. She sucked out more of their reiatsu, but that wasn't enough. Even during the process, Katsu and Nami were able to stand on their knees.

Nami rolled her eyes, "Okay, okay! Let's cut the joke," the was a smirk plastered on her face and amusement was the only thing it could represent, "Did you really think that something as miraculous as that really didn't have a weakness, or was you just trying to hide that fact away from us?" Nami asked while her an her brother stood up without a care in the world.

"You really are the idiot the elder Espada made you out to be. It will be your finally mistake, sending Kurosaki Ichigo away." his glare as cold as the dead, it made Inoue flinch a bit, "Seize, Nikui Namattaha," He unsheathed his zanpakuto from his back. What caught Inoue by surprise was, instead of a close range weapon like normal arrancar, there was a bow n' arrow in his hand. It glowed a soft indigo continuously and it never ceased. He also had a staff on his back that was barely visible because of the shield behind him, but it glowed just as brilliantly as his bow n' arrow.

His outfit changed by his jacket being stripped of him and becoming a shield behind him that glowed the same color as his weapon. His shirt had no sleeves, like a tank top, but it covered his collarbone. His pants stayed the same as they were, but his whole outfit was turned gray and black instead of white and black. His shoes were exposed as boots that have the ends of his pants tucked safely inside. His mask transformed itself into, what looked like, the upper piece of Nami's mask and it started at the end of his nose.

Inoue was confused by his resurrección, "Your zanpakuto's name refers to a hateful dulled blade, but you wield a bow n' arrow instead? I would have expected a machete or a similar weapon," Inoue asked with much power.

Katsu sighed heavily, "Why does your zanpakuto's name refers to an iris when clearly roses are blooming with brilliance upon the blade? It's the same concept," Katsu answered, "I asked that question myself once, but Nikui Namattaha explained that it wield a bow n' arrow because his blade has dulled with regret," Katsu bladdered on, "So, shinigami, I have showed you my resurrección, I ask to see your bankai."

Inoue glared at the man, "You have the nerve to ask me to release my bankai when you too are in the first stage of your release. You should mind your manners to a lady. Or do you even have a second state of your release?" Inoue scoffed at him and his arrogance. Katsu raised an eyebrow to what she was talking about, "Like shinigami have bankai, Arrancar have a second release called Resurrección: Segunda Etapa. Cifer Ulquiorra, former fourth Espada, was the only one to discover and gain this technique. After enrolling into the Shin'o Academy, I took classes that mainly focused on a shinigami's stage level and the absolute limit every shinigami had. After everyone of those classes, I would research the Hogyoku and concluded after two weeks that it has the ability to bless hollows with the exact same powers as a shinigami, well except for the changes within various stages," Inoue concluded.

"Various?" Katsu questioned.

Inoue smirked at his one worded question, "Yes, various. In every class, my sensei would tell us that the shinigami limit is bankai, but my research has discovered that there are five stages to a shinigami's limit, we have just scratched the surface," she informed the two, "I call the third stage Kokai, beyond release. The fourth stage Genkai, infinite release. Finally, the fifth stage, Yunkai, universal release. I have told multiply shinigami about my findings and most of them are bankai users, but now they have reach Kokai. I have myself," she held her zanpakuto to the enemy.

"So I will grant your arrogant request, you will die here. That I know," she spoke proudly while leaking out a bit of her reiatsu. Winds gathered and strongly left, forcing the both of them to cover their faces from the force, "Bankai, Shukketsu Ayame!" Inoue shouted loudly, but the air pressure was to dense for the sound to reach her opponents. A flower bloomed over her right eyes with thorns flowing through it. An ax was born was from the two meter, large katana. Her ax grew at least four times it's shikai size and it was like a spiky bush, sharp ends coming out of nowhere and randomly growing. Two roses bloomed. A huge rose at the bottom and a smaller one at the top. Once those roses bloomed, black vines rapidly spread across the weapon, "Now am I the idiot the elder Espada made me out to be?"

Katsu and Nami slightly flinched at her statement. Katsu had to take back all he said about her, he definitely underestimated her. She was truly the granddaughter of the Soul King.

* * *

"Damn, Orihime, she knows I'm no good at this stuff, why'd she have to send me," pouted Kurosaki as he shunpo'd around and barely focused his reiatsu on his human family, "But still..." Kurosaki had a flashback.

 **Flashback:**

 _"Kurosaki-Kun! Kurosaki-Kun!" yelled a mildly hyper Inoue, "I just found out something that's going to change shinigami forever!" she yelled with the same excitement._

 _Kurosaki held his ear in pain, "Yeah, yeah, but could you explain a bit more quieter," he asked while still massaging his ear. A slight blush coated her pale face as she quickly used her hands to cover her big mouth._

 _"Well, remember when I told you I was researching shinigami and arrancar limits?" Inoue asked with her hands still over her mouth, "I just figured out that shinigami have more than two stages of power they can access. Shinigami are able it reach five different stages. Shikai, Bankai, Kokai, Genkai, and Yunkai," Inoue explained. Kurosaki's jaw dropped to the ground._

 _"WAIT! Doesn't that mean we can exceed bankai?!" he yelled out to the whole fifth division, there was even an echo. Inoue nodded like she didn't hear him scream that loud, still with that innocent look with her hands over her mouth and in her school uniform, "Didn't you start the Shin'o Academy two weeks ago!?" Inoue nodded with the same innocent look._

 **End of flashback**

"No, Orihime's smarter and stronger than she looks. She's not that same girl who would cry out for help from me anymore," Kurosaki reassured himself. _"Help me, Kurosaki-Kun!"_ he heard Inoue's weak and weary voice echoing through his head, "I don't want to hear her voice that weak again... No, I can't hear her voice that weak again," he whispered to himself. Then, he felt Inoue's reiatsu increase drastically. He stopped in mid air and turned back to the place where he left Inoue. _She can handle it, she has unlocked three releases._


	13. Beyond

_Yay! I'm back again! DISCLAIMER:  
_ _ **  
I do**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **own bleach!  
**_ _  
BTW, if you're having a 'WTF' moment during this chapter, think to yourself, "Would B.H. really do this or not?"_

* * *

 _"'Til day's come, I swear on my life, to protect you and always you. To care for you like my sibling. To guide you like the clouds. To pray for you out of kindness. To stay with you until I die."_

 _"I, Katsu"_

 _"I, Nami"_

" _I, Toshiro"_

 _"I, Fu"_

 _"I, Del"_

 _"I, Kelly"_

 _In the absence of Hinamori they say in chorus, "I, Momo"_

 _"Swear to never forget you. I maybe a lost soul, but I'm not lost anymore because my family is here with me..." Hitsugaya found him saying 'me' all by himself._

* * *

Hitsugaya dropped down to the earth like a bomb and had a huge impact on the street. "Toshiro! You can't destroy Karakura Town, humans have put their lives and souls into these works of art so don't dishonor them by destroying their art in two seconds flat," commanded Karin.

Hitsugaya ignored her command and raised from the rubbled without a scratch. Kelly was enraged by this, "Why won't you just die!" she headed straightforward to him, using her two katana and hoping that they will impale him. To her dismay, he dodged easily and even grab ahold of her zanpakuto. Without a care in the world, he through her zanpakuto, along with its owner, behind him like trash, "Who gives you the right to kill me off? You shinigami, you kills us when we didn't even do anything wrong!" she yelled at him with anger, "Guess what! I used to be a human soul, too! I'm only this way because I gave my life up for you! I was dying in pain, yet I was still smiling to reassure you I was okay with dying like that! Well, I WASN'T!" tears started to stream down her face.

Hitsugaya's look was cold, "I never asked for you to give your life for mines," he was calm cool and collected. Kelly's tears became rapid and she screamed in anger, "Bankai, Daiguren Hyorinmaru," Hitsugaya mumbled under his breath. His ice wings formed quickly but Kelly launched herself.

She quickly got off the floor and used sonido to appear in a circle in front of Hitsugaya, "You are my friend and I would never allow a friend to die before me in battle! You fucking idiot! Toshiro-Kun, do you even remember the promise we made to each other!?" the Kellys all yelled at the same time. He was drowned in the sound.

"I, Kelly, swear to never forget you! You made the same vow, so why can you keep your vow to this pathetic excuse for a shinigami, but no to one of your best friends. You betrayed all of us!" she finish by having someone of her clones to knock him to his feet a stab him in his rib cage, "I wish you would just die!" tears dripped upon Hitsugaya's blood body, filled with cuts and bruises and blood. Red liquid spilled from his mouth as she continued to shove her katana in and out of his bones, breaking and cracking everything in it's path.

"Toshiro!" Karin yelled out his name, but it didn't affect the result. She was getting to shunpo to his aid, but was quickly stopped by Yamada by a tug of her uniform, "Let go of me, I need to help Toshiro!" she slapped his hand away.

Yamada's grip was strong, "I can't let you go. If you were to interrupt the fight, you would be the one to die on this battlefield today," Yamada said with strictness. Karin's eyes widen.

She trembles with fear, "No, no, he can't die. He swore... on everything. He swore he wouldn't die on me," with a second though, Karin wiggled out of Yamada hold and went to Hitsugaya's aid. She gripped her zanpakuto tightly. Before she interfered, Hitsugaya shouted something that was totally crazy to Karin's ear.

"Kokai!" Hitsugaya's wounds healed instantly and forced Kurushimi out of his rib cage. Hitsugaya's hair turned a dark teal and a line of ice formed upon his forehead. Huge ice wings, bigger than his bankai, formed on his back. His wings were used as a sheath for multiple Hyorinmaru, at least five. He had iced, dragon feet and a tail that was the same color as his newly found hair color. Hitsugaya's teal eyes transformed from the once slightly warm color to a lightly angelic pure white. His arms were coated in blue ice. The air around him turned to snow, "Tengekko Toketsu Hyorinmaru!"

* * *

"Are you done already?" Inoue asked with a cocky look, "You dishonor my expectations, I'm greatly disappointed in the both of you so called Espada," Inoue glared at the two Espada. Katsu was kneeling on one knee, drenched with sweat and coughing up blood. Nami was basically in the same conditions, except for blood was dripping down every part of her body.

Inoue allowed her zanpakuto back to its original form, sheathed it and she walked away with her guard lowered. Katsu and Nami, unfortunately, healed their injures in seconds without the acknowledgement of Inoue. After being heal, he grabbed his bow n' arrow and aimed its arrow right on the side of her head, missing by millimeters. Inoue looks behind her to see the two completely heal. Right now, if Kuchiki-Taicho was still alive, she would be his counterpart, "Looks like I need to use Kokai anyway," she unsheathed Ayame once again and slung it over her shoulder.

"Kokai," she casually said. Inoue's spirit energy boosted up twenty fold. Inoue's hair turned darker until it was black and her eyes were blood red. A red ribbon was wrapped around her waist that was neatly tied, but torn at the end. She had medium size angel wings along with a mask appeared upon the right side of her forehead. The ends of her skirt like kimono, instead of the long slacks like most shinigami has, disintegrated and shorted to her knees.

It exposed armored red boots and an angelic jewel located on both boots. Her sleeves short to the middle of her forearm with a gardbrace located on her left shoulder that was colored red with silver edges. Finally, a jewel, like found on her boots, seemed to be implanted in between her collarbone, "Hoshishiro Nakinagara Ayame," two lances appeared in her hand with massive blades, as big as the pole itself.

With a snap of Inoue's fingers, both lances and also the gems located upon her glowed white. The brilliance of the light blinded the both of them for a second. When it finally died down, the both of them were burnt to a crisp, "Hoshiakari, reject," she mumbled after they were able to process what just happened, "As you have witnessed, in bankai, I have the power to control specific parts of nature such as plants, etc. and all of the past. Yet, in my Kokai, I have the power to control all time and space. And my power to control nature is unlimited. Even every living thing, which is nature," her eyes dulls with the look of death.

Katsu helded his arm with agony and yelled, "What the hell did you, witch!" he scowled. Nami had a similar looked, but her hisses of pain continued too frequently for her to demand what happened.

Inoue cut her eyes, "I just explained it. If you brain was big enough, you could have comprehend it," she sighed with disappointment, "I just sped up time. Or you could say I control a little bit of actual time. Anyway, it doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is that you might want to avoid the next attack if you don't want to burn into a place worse than hell," with that statement, Inoue lifted her zanpakuto from her shoulder and thrust it through the air and pointed it towards the two, "Doku tsuru, reject."

As soon as she chanted those words, vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped its roots roots around their ankles. Katsu comprehended a millisecond later and used his staff to try to slash the vines, but it took quite a bit of work, "Try all you want, but my power wouldn't seem so endless as I make it if you could cut through my roots, would it?" she had an expression as she seems superior to the in every way. With her head held high and a look to show she is amused by their futile attempts. She pulled her hand into a fist, controlling the branches and vine to stretch out their bodies with branches wrapped around their necks.

Nami glared at her with the look of desperation and frustration, "It's true your power is greater than ours, but why not finish the job?" Inoue flinched at her remark. It loosen the bounds upon their wrists, ankles, and necks, "In true, you couldn't kill a fly. Your death threats were no more than that, just threats that can't be carried out," Nami smirked at her talk.

Inoue contained her emotion for a bit, "I'll end you, there won't be nothing left once this fight is over!" she snapped her finger, "Himawari!" she shouted, "I reject!" A beautiful iris bloomed behind them. The color of purple enveloped the eyes of her victims, but they both didn't worry. White blossomed from the iris magically and the Iris turned into a light that reign down upon the two.

Right before the light made contact with them, they yelled in chorus, "You're really pathetic!" with that statement, the light blasted their existence from this world. Inoue felt tears swell up in her eyes as her kokai disable. Her extra pieces of garments, including the rose upon her eye, transformed into violet iris petals that lay upon her body. Her black hair slowly faded into hues of dark orange and brown. With each tears she shed, her eyes turn back into the gray-violet eyes known by everyone. After her eyes turn her original eye color, her tears turned a violent shade of crimson.

She breaks down to her knees and quietly shed crimson tear upon the pavement ground, occasionally sob or sniff. As the spell settled down, their bodies turned were no longer in their physical forms, just a pile of ashes waiting for the breeze to swiftly take it to the end of the world. Her voice faltered so as she cried out, "I'm sorry brother, I-I I killed someone again."

Out of the shadows comes a tall figure with a slightly shorter one by it's side. Inoue had assumed it was Kurosaki with Yuzu who finally returned. She wiped her bloodshot eyes and tried her best to alter all indications that she was crying. When Inoue turned her back, the taller figure took out a bow n' arrow and pointed it at her back. In one shot, it pieced Inoue's spine to her stomach. Without knowing what happened, Inoue collapsed on the cold pavement, just waiting to die.

* * *

Karin's eyes widen in shock to see Hitsugaya's newest form. With such speed and agility, Hitsugaya scooped Karin into his arms, bridal style, and shunpo'd back to Yamada on the group, "Idiot, don't go charging after me like that, you could have gotten yourself killed!" Hitsugaya scolded her, "Also, you made me reveal my trump card so early in the battle."

Karin, who was still shock to the core, stuttered, "S-sorry, Taicho!" she shouted as a reply, "I-I j-just didn't know about this," she rubbed the back of her head with an obvious nervousness. _I feel so much reiatsu coming from Toshiro. Is it a possibility that he became stronger overnight? No, of course not...I hope.  
_  
"Promise me you'll stay here?" Hitsugaya glared strictly at the female shinigami. Karin nodded rapidly, still a little confused about what just happened, "Yamada, if she does go off on her own you have the right to stop her without killing her," he granted. With that, he flew off back to the battlefield, leaving Karin with a lot of questions.

Out of the blue, Yamada said, "Kokai, the stage of shinigami power after bankai. Shinigami are taught that there are two levels they can manage, shikai and bankai. Years ago, Orihime-Sama discover that there are five stages to a shinigami's limit. Shikai and bankai, for first, then there's kokai, beyond release, genkai, infinite release, and yunkai, universal release. If you think about it, bankai isn't an accurate name for the second release," Yamada informed.

"Does Yama-Jin know about this?" Karin asked. Yamada shook his head as an answer, "Knew it, if Yama-jin did know about this, he would need some proof. If he did get that proof, the Seireitei would be ashes by now," Karin sweatdropped at the idea of Yamamoto yelling at everyone to get the mess cleaned up as soon as it happened.

Yamada replied, "Not to mention that it already happened before. Well, technically, the Seireitei didn't turn into ashes, just a bunch of rubble. The arrancar sure did a number on us then. Yamamoto never expected that to happen," Yamada sighed as he recalls the past of a bunch of healing and working, especially for division four.

Karin turned to him with a curious face to what he was talking about, "Oh, right, I forgot, you were first in the world of the living then in the western quart of the rukongai, district three, Hokutan. During that time you wasn't at the Seireitei, a bunch of hollows and remaining Espada launched an attack upon the Seireitei. They used to be japanese style barracks for all divisions and the taicho would get a huge apartment to themselves," he explain.

Karin smiled at him, enjoying the information of the previous Seireitei, "It sounded so enjoyable. That why there is alway construction on each of the division's property. I guessing why it's taking so long is because there was type of kido placed upon the barrack?" Karin asked for clarification to her theory. Yamada nodded to her theory and they both set their eyes back upon the real life fight about to take.

Back to the battle, "Is it really wise to turn your back to the enemy just for your girlfriend?" Kelly asked while rolling her eyes and crossing her arm. Veins popped out of Hitsugaya's head then he looked away from her with the tiniest of blush.

He sighed fairly loudly, "I said that she's not my girlfriend, she's just a close friend of mines," Hitsugaya pondered on his relationship with Karin. _I wouldn't describe her as a close friend, she's less. I'm just bound to protect her, that's all._ He shook the idea off and focused on the battle he was suppose to resume by now, "Anyway," he exited the topic while clenching onto the hilts of two Hyorinmaru that's bounded by his ice wings, "Let's get this over with."

Kelly's expression quickly escalated from an annoyed one to a serious one, "I agree, I'm getting bored with your weak actions, maybe in this new form, I will get some amusement out of this," she lowered her arms by her side and gripped the hilts of Kurushimi's katana parts.

Simultaneously, they quickly unsheathed their two of their zanpakuto and winds could be felt from it. Milliseconds later, they sprung into action, meeting halfway to each; used both of their zanpakuto to fight off furious attacks. They're strength was equally matched. They spilled out much reiatsu to where Karin and Yamada was forced upon the floor.

"Wow," Karin grunted from the struggle to keep her body from going limp from the reiatsu, "Toshiro's reiatsu and physical abilities multiplied about twenty times," Karin stated while still struggling to keep her eyes glued to the battle.

A seconds into their strength bound struggle, ice appeared upon Kurushimi's blade. Which forced Kelly to use sonido to retreat. Hitsugaya was not fazed by this action and kept his composure. With a face that expressed no emotion, Hitsugaya shunpo'd closer Kelly and attempted another attack upon her with his two Hyorinmaru. One strike, two strikes, three strikes. He was able to land four blows onto the Espada before he retreated back to his own territory of the sky the used to battle.

Kelly ignored her wounds, a futile decision. Ice formed inside the wound immediately, "It has been less than thirty seconds and I have struck you four times and rendered two of your weapons useless, am I providing you amusement because I am surely amused?" Hitsugaya slightly smirked at his enemy with ice cold eyes. The teal that is clearly shown taunted her complete, almost being drawn in by its spell.

Kelly's expression was serious as she stated, "Yes, your statement is true, there are gashes upon me and my katana are useless with this ice on it, but my amusement is not peaked, not in the slightest. You could say intrigued by your new manifestation, but not amused. Have you noticed I've been fighting you head on. Why don't I use my illusion?" Kelly's neutral expression reshaped itself into a cocky look that confused Hitsugaya a bit.

Her question hit him hard, _Why doesn't she use her illusions, she could have easily avoided my attacks that way?_ There was an easy answer to that, "I wanted to see face once you see you have no advantage in this fight," with that statement, an unknown force sliced through Hitsugaya like butter, separating his top half from his bottom half, "Now, time for you, Kurosaki Karin."

Karin's eyes widen at the sight before her, being bathed in Hitsugaya's blood as she witness the love of her life being killed just like that. She payed no mind to the death threat given by Kelly and felt the coldness and brittle feeling in her eyes. Tears quickly swell up and fell out of every nock and cranny of her eye sockets, "TOSHIRO!"

The ice placed in Kelly's wounds and katana melted away ice cream. Kelly pulled the two blades apart and headed towards Karin with the tip of Kurushimi pointing at her head. Yet, a white slash of reishi interfered with her, forcing her to block the reishi, "Shameful, you go after a girl who doesn't pose any harm to you!" Yamada shouted with Hisagomaru in shikai pointing at the sky.

Kelly looked at the fukutaicho with a non-amused look, "I'll kill you."


	14. The True Meaning of Heart

_*Humming* DISCLAIMER:_

 _I do NOT own bleach!_

 _BTW, do you think some of the five character I put in here should die or live and go back to the rukongai_

 _Theme for chapter: Winter Love by BoA_

* * *

 _All my life...I thought I knew why there wasn't a hole in my chest. Once there was a hole in my chest...I lost the definition of love... compassion... emotions... a heart._

 _ **Flashback**_

A small, pipy, young girl named Hankai Kelly. She smiled brightly as she put her torn and patched handbag on the floor along with her straw sandals. She ran to the fireplace, where their food is cook, to see her adoptive parent, Hankai Yuri, grilling a vegetable on over the fireplace."Yuri-San! I am back!" cheered a

Hankai sighed in disappointment, "Veggies again?! Katsu-Kun usual  
 _ly has a type of meat for dinner. Plus I have a lot of reiatsu!" Hankai complained. Yuri turned to see the muddy girl with a few scratches and scars here and there from playing with her friend._

 _"Now, now, Kelly-Chan. Meat is not an opinion for us, we are not hunters nor do we have the money for such a delicacy. Now come here," Yuri commanded. Yuri is a woman with short, dark purple hair in a small ponytail. She has on a dress similar to Hankai's, but its color is a dark ivory color. She wears the same sandals as Hankai, just bigger, and has ruby red eyes._

 _Hankai did as she was instructed to by standing before Yuri. Yuri kneels down and licks her thumb; rubbing the dirt and mud off Hankai's face. Hankai squinted her eyes as Yuri rubs off all fiith from her cheek, "Oww, Yuri-San, that hurts," Hankai puff out her lips in an attempt to pout. Once done Yuri smiled at the young green haired girl._

 _"Great, now you look beautiful," Yuri complimented. Hankai blushed at the compliment as her face lit up, "I'll call you when dinner's ready, settle in and put your stuff up. Also put up your futon, you left it a mess this morning." Yuri went back to grilling the vegetables for dinner that night, shooing off Hankai._

 _Hankai nodded and ran off to get her bag and take it back to her futon. After folding it up very nicely and stacking it next to Yuri's futon, Hankai took out her things she collected that day. She first pulled out a shell that has that has 'tomodachi' written in kanji. She beat everyone of her friends at rock, paper scissors to get it, even the master minding Hitsugaya, which was a miracle on her part._

 _"Tomodachi means friend."_

* * *

"Toshiro! Toshiro! Please wake up!" begged Karin as she hovers over the almost lifeless shell of Hitsugaya. All the color and feeling was drain from both of their faces, one caused by near-death and the other cause by seer shock. Her tears rapidly fall upon Hitsugaya's pale face, sniffing or flinching ever so slightly. Seconds after, a memory popped into her head, but it wasn't her own. The voice, it sound so soft and kind. The voice coming from her own voice, it was different, so innocent and loving.

In reality, her body collapse onto of Hitsugaya, also turning colder than ice. She winced and trembled every second or so, even tears were still traveling so quickly. She mumbled something under her breath to where you would have to be in kissing range to hear her, "T-tomo...dac~hi." her breath heavied deeply as her chest moved up and down quickly and moved very high and low.

While she was passed out, Hitsugaya's wound mysteriously started to stitch itself slowly, being sheltered and covered by Karin's shaking soul. The shine entered back into Hitsugaya's eyes as he gasped for a breath of air and tried to sit up, but was halted by Karin who was lying upon his chest. He was confused why Karin was unconscious and trembling on his chest.

"Karin?" he reluctantly accepts that was Karin. He had never seen her like this before, she always had such a strong appearance, alway brave and never a flash of fear. But this expression, it was completely different. Her eyes were squinted and teeth were grinding against each other. Pain and sorrow and something indescribable was twisted into her face that just torn Hitsugaya apart just to look at her, "Damn, I shouldn't expose that I'm awake just yet. Also, I'm not quite fully heal."

He glanced at the Espada glaring at Yamada, who seemed to confront her with his small zanpakuto, "Yet if I wait too long, Yamada will die and Inoue will kill me. Also I need to move Karin off of me, if she lies on me any minute longer, her body heat will give out. But if I move in the slightest," Hitsugaya mumbled to himself as his eye movement shifted from Yamada to Karin.

 _DAMNIT!_

 _You're an idiot._ __

 _How?!_

 _Are you really going to risk Kurosaki-Fukutaicho's life and having your ass kicked by Inoue-San, who, by the way, was so smart to make up all this "kai" stuff!? Not to mention Yamada was nice enough to keep Karin at bay while we fought off that Espada witch!_ __

 _I feel like an idiot, thanks a lot._

 _Because you are!_ __

 _Right..._

 _Now get your ass in gear and kick that witch into a bloody pulp!_ __

 _Sure..._

After a long debate inside his head and a Hyorinmaru, who, for once in Hitsugaya's afterlife, didn't make fun of him in any way at all, that gave him a headache to destroy all headaches, as confusing as that sound. First, he picked Karin's body off of him and placed her next to him and stood tall, dusting off the dirty that lay upon his hamaka.

Running a hand through his light teal hair, his eyes expressed a cockiness with a frown etched into his face, "Hey!" he called to his opponent and comrade. Both their attentions were drawn to him with two Hyorinmaru in his palms, "You'd really think your halfass sneak attack was enough to kill me? I'm sorry to say this, but it's a shameless way to die and a taicho cannot afford to die shamelessly," both of their pairs of eyes landed to the sight of the scar that is barely stitched up by ice and slowly processing.

Kelly glared at the wound in his mid stomach that more than halfway split apart, "You can't fight in that condition, I'll just kill his arrogant shinigami then finish this later," she excused herself then positioned one of Kurushimi's katana to slice off Yamada's head. Hitsugaya interfered by blocking Kurushimi with one Hyorinmaru and swings the other by his side.

"You're an idiot if you think this little cut can stop me," Hitsugaya glared at the green haired girl. In addition, Hitsugaya took his other sword in his left hand and knocked Kurushimi to the ground that left her with one katana.

Kelly switched her katana in her left hand to her right hand and pointed it towards Hitsugaya, "If I were you, I wouldn't dare worry about this man who audaciously took me on. You should be concerned about your girlfriend, she's looking a little half dead over there," Kelly stated, referring to Karin.

Veins popped out of Hitsugaya's head once again, "That's three times now! She is NOT my girlfriend!" he yelled at her with an annoyed expression, again, with the slightest blush. He then mumbled something under his breath about Kelly and curses, "Anyway, Karin is strong. She won't die from a crying a little too much or anything like that. She's just unconscious and she'll wake up, I promise you that," his eyes, they were so strong and so genuine. He was so sure of it.

Just then, Karin hacked out an unbearable cough. She held her chest as if it was able to ease the pain in her chest. Blood spilled from her mouth, but she was still alive and kicking. She trembled with fear and pain. Agony engulfed her weary spirit. In a weak voice, she mumbled out, "H-Hankai, that's your name-," she coughed terrible with more blood flowing out, "R-right?"

Karin's question angered her greatly, "No! My name is Kelly, not Hankai."

Karin chuckled at her ignorance, "I've touch your heart. You are no arrancar, nor Espada. You are neither Aizen's pawn. You are just a lost soul, now," Karin struggled to get on her feet, tripping her stumbling on the ground, but still reluctant to give up. Her stance was weak and she could easily be knocked over by but a strong wind, "I-I can look in your heart and find what your pain is and reverse it."

"Karin?"

Kelly furrowed her eyebrows, "Lost? Lost? I have found myself so how am I lost!? And what is a heart? You human souls just throw that word around without a real meaning!" Kelly was almost at the point of tears as she clenched her weapon with fury. Karin brought her hand to her mouth as she coughed up more blood.

"Why do you think I'm so beaten up. Because I risked my ass trying to save you from your pain. I have burdened your pain for you, but luckily I'm not anything near a hollow," Karin's hair covered her eyes with a small smile plastered upon her face, "About what heart is. You refer to heart as if it is tangible. Heart is unseen by the naked eye, and I'm not talking about a heart that pumps blood to a human's body. It's something that is with you no matter how heartless of cold you are. Finally, heart is... It has no meaning. People perceive heart differently, thinking it has a meaning. When I was young and my mother died, I asked myself what heart was. But during that crisis, I realized that the definition of heart is shaped by a being's perception!"

Kelly didn't understand her explanation, no not at all. Kelly's stance became sloppy and muscles. Just when Kelly was about to strike, she felt herself grow...younger. Her height fell to where she was the same height as Hitsugaya. Then her hole slowly closed, inch by inch, "W-w- I don't-...understand," she whined quietly. Tears shed onto the ground without the knowledge of the owner of the tear. She raised her hand to her chest as she silently cry in shock and relief.

Hitsugaya and Yamada was also stunned by this miracle Karin just performed, "Karin, what did you do?" Hitsugaya asked with pure disbelief, shock, and ignorance. Karin wearily limped next to Hitsugaya as they watch the former arrancar age backward fairly quickly. Karin looked at her with a small smile placed upon her hand.

"She's converting back to the form before she was even a hollow to begin with," she answered with a soft and truly happy voice. When the hole in hole in her chest closed, her body softly glowed a bright white. She was lifted into the air a bit and that's when the glow was at its greatest to where everyone of them. After shielding their eyes, Kelly slowly descended onto the pavement. She laid there as she lost consciousness and the light disappeared, revealing a naked body.

Hitsugaya and Yamada's face turned a bright red, "Don't stand there and look!" Karin yelled at the both of them and slapping the both of them, "Give her something to cover up with!" she shouted at the two while they massage their red right cheek. Hitsugaya reluctantly took off his haori and draped it over Kelly's exposed body.

Kelly's eyes open and shifted her head to her side to see Yamada, Karin, and Hitsugaya. Her eyes looked dull, confused, and tried, "W-who are you?" she muttered with one eye open.

"She lost her memory?" Yamada asked.

Karin shook her head, "Nope, she just just doesn't remember being Aizen's slave," Karin crouched down to see Kelly better and introduced herself, "I'm Kurosaki Karin. This is Yamada Hanataro. You already know him, but he's Hitsugaya Toshiro," Karin introduced herself and the two behind her. She held her hand out to help Kelly up.

Kelly smiled really big as she set her sights to view Hitsugaya, "Hitsugaya-Kun?! You look so different! Your hair, you have wings...and wearing a shinigami outfit?" she impressed look turned into a confused one while her head tilt to the side a little.

"I'm surprise you didn't notice that he's taller," Karin muttered to no one in particular, but everyone heard her loud and clear.

Kelly giggled a little, "Hitsugaya-Kun can never get taller, he's the same height as always," Kelly directed her attention to Karin. All the while Hitsugaya's veins popped out. Kelly looked at him more closely, "Well, now that I look at him..." Kelly walked closer to Hitsugaya and realized that he was the same height height as her, "Oh my god! Hitsugaya-Kun is the same size as me! The world has gone mad!"

That pushed the limit, "What the hell are you talking about. I can get taller or shorter any day of the week, Hankai!" he yelled loudly at the girl with anger. He muttered something under her breath, this time dealing with Kelly, curse, _and_ Karin.

Kelly smiled at him, "Still got your short fuse, I see," she said happily while patting his head. Hitsugaya tried not to kill the girl while he caught her hand, "That reminds me, I haven't told you my name. I'm Hankai Kelly, call me Kelly."

* * *

"That was too easy, she must have sense us," Nami suspiciously stated while kicking Inoue's bleed body. With every second, Inoue trembled at least once or twice. Nami bent down to get a good look at her, but nothing suspicious was noticed. She sighed and bend her back backwards and looked at the sky, "Well we should go get Kurosaki, also his sister. She has the power to convert hollows back into human soul and to revive souls. That bitch Masaki...betraying us..."

Katsu rolled his eyes, "Hell to her, she's going to die, let's just make it long and painful," Katsu stepped on Inoue's back where her wound was. He smeared his shoe in the blood, "She's dirty in the ground compared to us. She put up a vain fight and earned the name of descendant of the Soul King. Still we rose victorious over her."

"Damn! You took all the fun, Katsu-Nii, I didn't even get to show her my resurrección!" Nami whine while biting her lip, "I'll just give it all I got next fight," Nami puffed up her cheeks, "Let's get going," she sighed.

"Nami-Chan! Katsu!" there stood Hinamori in her arrancar form. She wore a white dress that ended at her mid thigh. A black line that outlined a button up down to her waist. Hinamori's brown hair grew a little pass shoulder length. She wore black boots with white outlining the stitching.

"Momo..."


	15. Weariness

_Yo! DISCLAIMER:_

 ** _I do_** ** _NOT_** ** _own bleach!_** __

 _BTW, I really hate the greeting "yo" you might know why._

 _Another BTW, there is a really vivid scene of killing children in this chapter, you could skip it if you aren't like me. If you are anything close to me, you might want to skip it or you might be crying the whole chapter._

* * *

Karin runs through a clean grass field. Young, barely visible children run around the field as if it was a playtime. They all resemble various shinigami she had known.

"Karin!" yelled a small child-like voice. Karin turned her back to the children and looked behind herself. There was a fairly small child with short white hair and deep teal eyes. He looked to be the age of two or three.

"Toshiro," Karin yelled out to him. She ran to the child with all her might, only wanting to know what this place is, "Toshiro, please talk to me," she begged as continued to run after the child. He supposedly seemed to be standing there, but he kept getting farther and farther away.

Tears fell out of the child form of Hitsugaya, only wanting for Karin to reach him, "Please, Karin rid me of this pain!" Hitsugaya reached his hand out to her in a desperate attempt. His plea broke Karin's heart into a million pieces. Karin's body carried itself to the young boy faster and faster until she was able to touch his hand.

Her mind found itself into a battlefield. The young boy's form she had taken on was dressed in armor from head to toe. It was way too big for him and the helmet was so loose. It sway beyond the boy's eyes in which that he couldn't see a thing. In order to fix this, he constantly adjusted the helmet, but it never stayed that way.

Karin could sense the fear and agitation trembling throughout the young boy's body. Tears ran down his cheek as he shook like a feeble leaf. Karin adopted the same feeling as she processed more of the battlefield. The young boy clenched his fist onto the weapon in his hand that seemed to be shaped as a double-headed spear.

Blood spilled from his fist from his tight grasp of fear. Death fogged the area with blood as its humidity. Countless child's bloodshed daubed the grass as their bodies lay near. Grown men stand victorious over the children, smearing their beaten bodies into the ground like dirt. They laugh at the dead young children, calling them weak and retarded when they were forced to graze the battlefield with their presence.

The young boy watched all his closest friends die, either being beheaded or run through by some type of weapon. The men hold the heads of their young victims. Each and everyone one of them had their eyes wide open with a look of fear. With a senseless heart, they crush the children's heads with their own bare hands.

The young boy stood in the middle of the war, being spotted by all of the men that was in sight. The boy's eyes widen with intense fear. He dropped the weapon in his hand and ran away, wanting nothing but to live. He begged to heaven and anything that was Almighty. All the boy could think was _I don't want to die! I don't want to die!_ He cried out with fear.

With clumsiness and sloppiness, he tripped on some rocks and lied flat on his face. He turned on his back to look upon his future murderers. His sight was fulfilled by the hellbound men, laughing and teasing him about death. The boy closed his eyes with tears shedding from his eye sockets. He awaited his near death with a fear that could take the life of a grown man.

Without a second thought, one of the men chopped off his head. Laughs were heard among the crowd at the sight of the young boy's death. Blood geysered from the boy's headless neck. Red bone and muscle were seen before his headless body fell to the ground. Blood spilled upon the dirt gravel rapidly. Without remorse, they took the young boy's head between their fingers. Tears were spread upon the young boy's face with his eyes closed shut. Heartlessly, his skull was crushed like all the rest, soaking his bleach white hair in crimson blood.

In a blink of the eyes, her vision transferred back into the field. Karin looked again upon the young Hitsugaya. Her face expressed fear and anxiety. Karin's breath deepens with every passing second, "Toshiro!" was all she could manage out of her mouth. she hadn't realized it, but she was crying and sobbing.

"Thank you, Karin."

* * *

"Has Aizen-Sama determined now that we shall destroy the Soul Society and World of the Living?" Hinamori asked with a serious tone.

Katsu answered with the same tone, "Yes, Kelly approached the enemy and is now just about done. Kurosaki Karin took her down, we have to put her down." Hinamori's chest dropped at the idea of killing Kelly.

She quickly questioned his judgement, "Why? She can just be desert, we don't have to kill her" Hinamori leered at the ground with sadness and remorse for her friend who was threatening to be killed right in front of her.

Katsu's gaze thickened at Hinamori with coldness etched into every inch of his pupil, "Momo, you have become more human thanks to these shinigami. I don't even feel your reiatsu at its greatest potential," Katsu walked up to Hinamori and grabbed her by her dresses collar. He hoisted her up in the air and glared at her as she begged for air. She kicked her feet and gripped onto Katsu's wrist, "You idiot, you better snap out of it! And I don't care if you are ranked Espada negative one and I'm ranked three."

"Katsu, you're the one who needs to snap out of it, Aizen-Sama can use the power he collected from Inoue Orihime years ago to turn back the damage caused by Kurosaki Karin. We can't lose another Espada, especially with the arrancar massacre years ago." Hinamori somehow loosened his grip on her collar and dropped to the ground like a cat.

Katsu smirked, "It's too late," Hinamori's eyes widened with shock and disbelief, "Haven't you noticed that Nami is gone. She has went to take care of our traitor," Hinamori attempted to shunpo to Kelly's location quickly, but was stopped from Katsu grabbing onto the cloth located on her back, "Leave her, I'll take all the blame once with get back to Las Noches."

Hinamori gave up fighting him. Sadness and frustration was evident upon her face, "Right, let's go find Kurosaki Ichigo and Matsumoto Rangiku," Hinamori declared with disappointment.

"Momo, remember you are not Hinamori anymore, you are only Momo."

"Hai"

* * *

"Toshiro!" yelled Karin with high panic. This startled everyone there, "Do you have any memories on how you died?" Karin asked quickly. Her eyes widen with fear.

Hitsugaya was surprised by this question and answered it as quickly as he could process it, "A little, I still have so visions, but that's all. Anyway, you're the only one who has memories of their past life, even Kurosaki can't remember a thing," Hitsugaya looked at her with an expression of concern, "Karin...are you okay?" he asked, reaching his hand out to her.

Tears sprout from Karin's eyes as she collapse to the ground on her knees, "No! I'm not okay! There's too much blood, too much fear, too much death! Children are dead! Murderers laugh at them senseless! I'm scared! I'm really scared!" she hold her head that's in agony just from the thought of the scene.

Hankai rushed to her aid and massaged Karin back in an attempt to calm her down, "Kurosaki-San, it's going to be okay. Just please, example more of what you are seeing," Hankai begged with a look of distress. Karin trembled with fear as Hankai held her close.

Karin started mumbling something under her breath, not even Hankai, who was inches away from her mouth, couldn't hear those word. As soon as she got out a syllable, a pain struck the both of them. Hitsugaya and Yamada was shocked by this, blood covered both of Hankai and Karin's bodies before Hankai collapse upon Karin, who was knocked unconscious.

"Karin! Hankai!" Hitsugaya yelled out to them. His blood ran cold with fear. Unfortunately, he unreleased kokai, so he was unprepared to battle, especially in such an emotional and fragile condition. He unsheathed his zanpakuto and ran to Karin and Hankai, not even considering the force that sneaked up on the two.

When he got close enough, he quickly concluded that Hankai was done for. The blade struck her head on, even her limbs were turning into reishi. Karin was a different story, she was unconscious, but nothing vital was attacked, "Who'd done this, I demand for you to show yourself," Hitsugaya enjoined with his teeth grinding together with rage.

"My, my, Hitsugaya-Kun," giggled a voice from a specific direction. Hitsugaya quickly traced the voice to a tree that was moderately high. There sat Nami, swing her legs and firmly holding her palms against the branch of the tree, "I never thought that you would get all worked up from Kelly's death and Kurosaki-Sama being injured."

Hitsugaya began enraged by Nami's tone in voice, like she didn't feel bad at all killing a dear friend and comrade, "Her name is Hankai, get it straight. She wasn't yours, nor Aizen's pawn. Neither are me, the previous taicho, nor Karin," Hitsugaya propelled Hyorinmaru in its unrelease stage towards Nami, "You, Nami. You are not the girl I remember as a child."

Nami smiled sadly at that comment, "Remember... Do you even have the right to say that word," Nami stood up on the tree branch. She tucked her hands behind her back and stared at the ground, still with that pathetic smile, "You've forgotten us one hundred years ago. You've forgotten Kelly's suffering, you've forgotten the sin we bare from saving your life. We denied the God his wish. He wished to take your life that day, not ours," Nami's smile dropped to a frown and a serious face, "Since we denied him that right, we were reincarnated as Aizen's slaves."

Hitsugaya's chest felt empty, he understand the burden his former friends carry. This burden was because of him. He regained his composure and retorted, "I never wished to be the cause of your pain." he retorted, shadowing out the understanding flash that glinted in his eyes.

Nami glared at him harder, "Hitsugaya-Kun, you were our friend. You were the only one who could save Hinamori-Chan, but you failed us. You put our sacrifice to shame. For that, I hate you, Hitsugaya Toshiro," Nami stated coldly.

Hitsugaya looked at her with confusion, yet his face seemed so calm, "I did save Hinamori, she's probably by Inoue-Taicho or Kurosaki's side," Nami shook her head with exasperation. Hitsugaya, again, expressed more of a confused face.

Nami chuckled with amusement, "Are you really that dense. Why would Hinamori allow herself to be so attached to Aizen-Sama? Why would Hinamori, your adoptive sister, betray you over a man she had just met years ago," Nami asked Hitsugaya. Unfortunately, he didn't have the answer, "Because she's one of us."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened, "No you're lying!"

"Why would I?" Nami asked him again, "Hinamori Momo, that's not even her name anymore, neither is Momo. Her name is Tsukiko, moon child. She is our little agent and more powerful than you could ever imagine. She's Espada negative one." Nami informed, "If you wasn't in your kokai, which gives you instant regeneration abilities, you would have died."

"How do you know about kokai?" Hitsugaya interrogated her.

Nami smirked at him, "Let's say a little red headed taicho with a big brain let a little too much out," Hitsugaya knew exactly who they were talking about, "Just so you know, Katsu-Nii took her out easily. She probably roadkill by now," Nami used sonido to appeared next to Hitsugaya.  
 _  
I didn't even sense her presence_ , Hitsugaya thought as he move his eyeball to get a peek of if she was behind him, "I admit, you're fast, but that just means you're a fly in my hair that need to be disposed of properly and quickly." Hitsugaya swung Hyorinmaru over his back and turned on his heel, "Sit upon the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru! And Hyorinmaru will be my flyswatter."

Nami teased him, "How cruel Hitsugaya-Kun," Nami acted, biting her lip with fake emotion, "I think I might cry from you comparing me to a fly. If I am a fly, then Tsukiko is no better," she mocked Hitsugaya. He tried to predict her every movement, but once he was about to get a blow on here, she appeared somewhere else entirely, "I mean, you pushed her aside and abandoned her in her time of need. When she needed to move on from her love of Aizen-Sama, yet no one was there to help her. Kotetsu and Kira, maybe, but Kotetsu died along with the other taicho and Kira is in the Soul Society helping Yamamoto plot your death for 'treason'."

Hitsugaya retorted, "She's more than just a mere fly. Yes, she can be a pest sometimes and always have these annoying nicknames for me, but she's my family and I will never let her down. Also, her name is Hinamori Momo, not Tsukiko!" Hitsugaya swung his katana, desperately trying to hit Nami.

"You're an idiot!"

* * *

 _Toshiro, help me, I'm really scared... really scared. I'm trembling and I'm crying. I need warmth now, but all I feel is your cold body._


	16. The Purifer

_Quick! Random question! What's your favorite color? DISCLAIMER:_

 _ **I do**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **own bleach!**_ __

 _BTW, you don't have to answer it._

 _Another BTW, I'm so sorry for traumatizing some of you people about Hitsugaya's brutal death. I hope you don't become like Karin and have no sleep at night unless you are knocked unconscious. I mean, I had nightmares and this is my own writing! Should I be ashamed?_

 _Last BTW, I was think of having a continuation of this story. I don't know whether to do a prequel or a sequel. The prequel will have more action in it than ICE, but not as much HitsuKarin or any ship for that matter. But the sequel will have the next generation in it and HitsuKarin will barely be there anymore. If I were to choose I would make the prequel then the sequel but it depends on you. I might even make a story on Yuzu's past, you'll find out more about that in this chapter, yea, review or comment or whatever on what you would like._

* * *

The nightmare...it's replaying again. _Karin watches as another child is slaughtered in her nightmare. Her pain and emotions are locked with the children's. She desperately wanted it to stop, fighting to stop the show of nightmare again within her very being. Her eyes were dulled and her limbs motionless. Again and again, she begged for it to stop._

Humans, they are cruel and senseless. Why should we shinigami help these evil beings crossover. They don't deserve it, slaughtering their own kin for meager reasons. _Karin gave up fighting the version and reluctantly accepted it. The cries of help clouded her hearing and the blood stained field obscured her sight. The pain of the children she is connected to conceals her feeling. The taste of blood... Wait, blood?_

 _Karin somehow ignored the genocide of the slave children. She touched her lip to feel a thick liquid dripping from her mouth._ If I don't stop the connection between me and these children, I'll die. _Karin evaluated. She desperately turned to move her limp body, crawling on the floor as she coughed up more blood._

 _Her body was smaller than usual, more like the body of a male child like the young Hitsugaya's body she coexisted with early. She noticed this child had light teal hair that always go in the way, "Kanzo, we have a live one," informed a mercenary soldier. he was referring to the child body Karin has subconsciously taken over._

 _"Kill him."_

 _The command was straightforward and subtle. Without a second thought, the mercenary grabbed the boy's head, "P-please, spare my life," begged the child while Karin was yelling with pain inside the boy's body. The mercenary smirked at the boy and tightened his grip, making the boy yell in agony._

 _Somehow in Karin's screaming of pain, she heard the name, "Yukihiro!" the mercenary turned around and so did the boy. Karin saw him, Hitsugaya Toshiro with tears in his eyes and blood staining every inch of his body, "Leave my friend alone, bastard!" Hitsugaya shouted._

 _He gripped his double pointed lance at the mercenary hurting his friend. His stance was quite weak and unstable. he was trembled from head to toe with his teeth grinding against each other, yet it wasn't from excitement or anger, it was from fear._

 _The young boy held in the man's grasp yelled, "Toshiro, run! We both can't die here today, you must run!" this followed with the man squeezing his skull tighter. Karin could hear the cracks in the boy's skull become more and more audible, "TOSHIRO!"_

 _Tears fell down Hitsugaya's cheeks. His big teal eyes showed indecisiveness, "Yukihiro! I can't leave you to die like this. You're my best friend and you can't die. That's not what a true friend does! I will never save my own life for the price of other friend," Hitsugaya cried. His body was still filled with fear, but power was somewhere in the mix._

 _Yukihiro looked at his friend with a happy expression, his face didn't even show pain, "Hitsugaya Toshiro, I have chosen you to be my master," Yukihiro declared. He then raised his right hand in front of the boy. He froze Hitsugaya's body, in the process, teleporting him another location, "My full name is Hyorinmaru Yukihiro. You'd be best to remember that!"_

Hyorinmaru?

* * *

Karin felt the pain drain from body. The tension in her eyelids was lifted off of her. She blind her eyes twice. The red world of the battlefield was no more and she was in her inner world. Her inner world was the sky, the clouds they was upon. It was like heaven. The cloud was as soft as an actual bed and gravity was barely a thing in her inner world. There was a grandfather clock that ticked away at the furthest parts of her inner world and no matter how much she runs, she can't reach it. There stood her zanpakuto spirit, Kichona Jikan.

Karin was confused with questions, but greeted her politely, "Kichona-Sama, hello," Karin tilted her upper body to bow to her zanpakuto spirit. Kichona Jikan smiled at her. She has golden, light brown hair with dark brown eyes. Her hair was as long as her body and even swayed on the floor. She wears a kimono decorated with shining gold clocks over the kimono's basic color, bright yellow. She wore a hairpiece with two black clock hands pointing in a ninety degree angle from each other. One hand was shorter than the other. What caught Karin the most was the beauty of her wings. Gold was etched into swirls and black outlined the wings. White seemed like silver as it glittered in every inch of the wings.

"Please don't Karin-Sama, you're the master and I'm the zanpakuto. I should be greeting you in a bow," Kichona Jikan fluttered her hand in a flattered gesture, "But about the vision you gained from Hitsugaya-Kun, you must learn to ignore these things. The beyond release, kokai, is what you call it, you are very vulnerable when someone releases it around you. When they do, they recall pain from their past lives which, you, the purifier, will have to take on. This is the very reason your kind was made," Kichona Jikan explained.

Karin understood why she had the vision, but she wanted to know what the vision meant, "I understand that much, but I don't get the other part. The young boy's body I was in, he had the same hair color and eye color as Toshiro in his kokai. He also said his name was Hyorinmaru Yukihiro, what does that mean," Karin asked, confusion was written in her face.

Kichona Jikan sighed, "Have you ever wondered how zanpakuto personalities are forged and how their appearances are conducted?" Kichona Jikan asked with a serious tone.

Karin shook her head, "I'd just figure to accept things and not pry into them, but this matter is the exception," Karin answered. Kichona walked up to Karin and put a firm hand on her shoulder.

Kichona looked at Karin with a kind look. Her eyes were looked relaxed, her smile was bright, it was very a familiar to Karin, "We zanpakuto spirits are angels. We have died in the Soul Society before. The Soul King chooses the shinigami souls with the most reiatsu and allow them to be born anew in the living world," Kichona paused for a second, then continued, "We search for those who have exceptionally high reiatsu and befriend them. We become the person's friend and determine if they are worthy to have us as their zanpakuto in their afterlife."

Karin's eyes widen with shock. She realizes who she is immediately, "Y-Yuzu?"

Kichona nods. Tears fall down her face with a huge big, "Yes...Karin-Chan," Karin was speechless at this, "My real name is Kichona Jikan Yuzu, the shinigami of time. My zanpakuto was the only one like this and I chose you to have my awesome power Nee-Chan."

"Then what about the Yuzu back home, raising your kids with Jinta?" Karin as with mild confusion, "Remember, you told us that you couldn't see spirits until you were eighteen and Urahara-San told you about the shinigami. You're tell me that wasn't you?" Karin forced upon her.

Guilt overcame Kichona Jikan and it was evident in her face. She couldn't even look Karin in the eye, "So that's what Urahara-Sama done with my body. Us zanpakuto spirits, our human body granted by the Soul King doesn't rot away like normal bodied does so we can take as long as we want to find our person. Unfortunately, when we pass on, our body's privileges do not cease. So we have our bodies barriered immediately or put a kaizo konpaku in the body, which is what happened to my body," Kichona reluctantly leveled with her sister's gaze.

Karin had one more question, "One more thing, when did you die?"

Kichona sighed, "I've chose you when I saw how well you interact with spirits and even with Hitsugaya-Kun. You weren't scared of the job, which inspired me. When I chose you, I locked my death day with yours. So the day you died, I died too," Karin lowered her shoulder with shock, her eyes watered and shined too much. Salty tears expelled from Karin's eyelids. She cupped her eyes and collapsed to her knees.

"I-I'm sorry, Yuzu. If I knew that our death days were tied, then...I wouldn't have treated me dying so...merely," Karin cried. Kichona got down on one knee and looked to her sobbing sister. Kichona hugged her tightly and deeply. Her eyes started to water a little, too.

Kichona smile and felt a warm feeling inside her to finally hug her sister again. It gave her a pure feeling inside, "Karin-Chan, you felt no remorse when you were human, you didn't care if there was somebody hurt. But you became more like Ichi-Nii. You cared for your friends and dedicated yourself to protect them. Now as a soul, you feel more emotion than ever because you can finally put forth your duty as the purifier," Kichona faintly indicated, "You've grown so much and I am indubitably proud with you and the way you developed."

Karin sobs are barely audible as she is comforted by her sister, "Yuzu, I wish that you could be in this world inside of my lonely inner world. Where you could laugh with us, cry with us, fight with us, and be happy with us. Ichi-Nii, he's still the same idiot, yet so strong. He's even a taicho, now. Dad, well, he's dead. He's being used for the arrancar's plan. And everyone else is still alive," Karin chuckled while fully enjoying the warm of Kichona.

Kichona clutched Karin once more time before saying, "It's time to go know. I cannot help you with this power, you must fully embrace it and tame it and claim it as your own," Kichona explained before flapping her wings. Kichona let go of Karin, and finally, Karin saw that she was crying. There was a smile on her face, "I'm glad you remembered me."

Karin could feel this throbbing feeling in her head. All her memories of her life as a human started to disappear. Her father, her mother, even when she first met Hitsugaya or all the times when Kurosaki denied that he was a shinigami. It was all gone, but one person stayed. Karin fought to remember that one person, her beloved twin sister, Yuzu. Yet in the end, she forgot her name, "I don't want to forget! Kichona Jikan, please tell me your name again!"

Karin blinked her eyes to see she was in the real world again. _Who is that young girl with blonde hair? I know her...I know it...I know her._

* * *

Back to the action with Hitsugaya and Nami:

Hitsugaya was getting sick of this game Nami was making him play. She was giggling and taunting him, it gives him horrored memories of Kusajishi. Hitsugaya finally yells, "Sit upon the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Hyorinmaru reformed itself into it's shikai form, which didn't change very much. Hitsugaya focused his reiatsu on the pavement and froze it within two seconds.

Nami trips and lands on her butt, "Let's stop playing these little kid games, as you can see, we are not immature children that would fight for fun," Hitsugaya coldly stated as he pointed the tip of Hyorinmaru towards the young girl. Nami grunted knowing all she could do was sit there or her throat will be sliced open, "Now sit tight kid, or you are going to die."

Nami's worried face quickly shaped itself into a cocky grin. She hummed with an arrogant pitch, "Do it then," she commanded while leaning her neck closer to the black tip. Blood was drawn from the action, but Nami didn't care, "Finish me off. I mean, it was my own cockiness that will kill me, just finish the job," Nami said with a seductive grin and merely talked of her own life.

Hitsugaya knew what she was trying to do, make him realize that he was about to kill one of his childhood best friends, unluckily for her, Hitsugaya doesn't dwell on the past, "With pleasure," he agreed with no emotion at all. He thrusted the blade through her throat heartlessly. Blood geysered from the wound and her mouth. Hyorinmaru stuck out the nape of her neck and Hitsugaya withdrawled his blade from her.

 _This was too easy. To defeat Hankai, I had to go into Kokai and technically, I didn't defeat her._ Nami's head drooped with lifeless. Hitsugaya observed her cautiously. Blood dripped from her neck and mouth with her hazel eyes wide open, though Hitsugaya couldn't see that. He concluded that she just wanted to die and resheathed his Hyorinmaru. At that exact same moment, her gaping mouth unexpectedly shifted into a wicked smile.

"Atone, Hazukashi Tsumi," she mouth with a barely audible sound. Her unreleased katana melted into a white substance and enveloped her limbs. The the substance solidified into a sharp white form onto her arms and legs. Her plain cheongsam stitched itself into a jumpsuit with a tall collar. Her bone mask expanded itself into a ninja-like white veil that allowed her hair to flow into a high ponytail. Her weapons were two hand guns. She rotated the two guns upon her index fingers.

Two pink ceros expelled from the gun barrells and directed to Hitsugaya. He easily dodged the two cero by cooly levitating in the air and blowing his bangs to the side, "It seems my suspicion were indeed correct. I forgot about this, but when you release ressurección, all the injuries you sustain during your unrelease state become undone," with a sly look, Hitsugaya glanced that the young girl for clarification, even though he didn't need it.

As the pink light died down and exposed the rubble of all the buildings and a couple of disintegrated skyscapes from the earlier and present fights. Fortunately, every human near the areas of the fighting evacuated, "Does it matter? All you need to know from now on is that one of us will be victorious without a single scratch and the other one will be dead," with that, she sheathed her handgun and started moving faster than she was before. She quickly unsheathed her pistol than shoot at Hitsugaya and find another place and shot before the first cero is able to make contact with him.

Hitsugaya used shunpo as fast as he could to dodge the cero, but couldn't get out unscaved, "You're playing dirty Nami, how about face me head on? Even Hankai had more honor than you!" Hitsugaya shouted cooly still while trying to dodge the cero. The next shot, Hitsugaya figured it out. The pattern of her hiding places and the angle she was making her cero fly in every possible way he could move.

He calculated where her next hiding spot was and shunpo'd to that coordinate. There he spotted the young arrancar, "You know, you're pretty sloppy for a ninja," he commented. Nami flinched then pointed the gun behind her and shot the cero. Hitsugaya shunpo'd back to his original position and glared at the spot in the trees he just left.

Nami yelled from the trees, "I am NOT a ninja! I'm an arrancar!" Hitsugaya sighed at her childishness. The trees shook and some leaving fell off the branches from her yelling and maybe trembling with anger. _Ugh, this is gonna be a pain in the ass. Fighting a sly brat that can be childish just by a little trash talk._


	17. The Atonement of the Shibazakura

_Bonjour! French version B.H. signing in! DISCLAIMER:_

 _ **I do**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **own bleach!**_ __

 _BTW, About Kichona Jikan Yuzu, I just had to put in some sister love. Plus, it gives Karin more emotional development, especially when she finally lose her memory but only remembers Yuzu's face. I thought that would be sad and powerful. I know since this is suppose to be a fanfic/romance/action, it would be Hitsugaya-Kun, but... SISTER LOVE! Not everything has to revolve around Hitsugaya-Kun. Okay, maybe it is since this is HitsuKarin, but still!_

 _Another BTW, BLEACH IS ENDING AT CHAPTER 685! Sorry had to spoil it. Please don't kill me._

 _Last BTW, Okay! I am surely bringing Abarai-San, Rukia-San, and Ishida-San to the fight. But, I not sure about Chad. If you're mad at me or something for this, be mad, but my battle setup is Abarai-San vs. Katsu-Kun, Rukia-San vs. Hakara-Chan, and Ishida-San vs. Nari-San. Nari is suppose to be the weakest of the five, but since he's a quincy he has to go up against Ishida-San. Plus, he's powerful enough, like all the other enemies except for afro dude whatever his name is, to one-shot Chad. Who isn't powerful enough to one-shot Chad, except for afro dude. Sorry Chad fangirls! Seriously, if you're a Chad fangirl... WHY?_

 _Theme for Chapter: Tabidachi no Hi ni by Ai Kawashima_

* * *

 _"Allow the defendant to come in," commanded one of the jurors of Central 46. The lower class shinigami brought a man with light pink hair and blue and hazel eyes in chains. The man was roughly dragged by the shinigami, treating him like trash. He had on a dirty kimono that looks like it hasn't been washed ever without any other piece of clothing or covering._

 _"Narame Natsuno," called a more feminine voice called, "You are responsible for many deaths of humans in the World of the Living. You are too much of a threat in our order in the Soul Society, we can not allow that," she explained with stern and emotionless voice. The convict, Narame Natsuno, did not react in anyway at all. His eyes reflect coldness and heartlessness._

 _Another juror stated, "Because of this threat, we have concluded that you must be dealt with immediately. The Onmitsukido will quickly take care of you," the masculine voice informed. Then at once, all the jurors snapped their fingers at once and behind those white blocks of wood, there was an expression of satisfaction upon each of their faces._

 _Suddenly, Narame was teleported to a grassed area with a flowing river nearby. He was stripped of his bounds and chains and was left confused. Narame looked around the area suspiciously and cautiously. In a matter of seconds, shinigami assassins, more than a hundred, surrounded him. And there, was the previous taicho of the second division Soi Fong. Soi Fong unsheathed her zanpakuto and the Onmitsukido sprung._

* * *

 _'Kichona Jikan! Tell me your name again!'_ Kichona thought back to her sister's pleas, "I had to do it, she couldn't deal with the pain and guilt," tears were brought to Kichona's eyes as she thought back to her sister. She remembered see frames of herself smiling in her human body. More tears swell up in her eyes until they shed themselves. She broke down and curled into a small ball with audible cries.

 _I took away my only best friend and sister's memories. All of the happy moments and sad moments. All the pride she felt when she saved people. I said I was proud of her...yea right. If I was proud of her, I wouldn't have taken away all that I was proud of her about._ Even though Kichona was in the sky, she felt like she was in hell. She was enveloped in a maze of sorrow and regret. Kichona cleared her head again and again, but the guilt always kept eating at her.

Her head throbbed with heartache and agony. She groaned with pain and massaged her temples with her fingertips but it had no effect. After a few seconds, she realized massaging her head would be useless. Kichona put her hands by her side and slowly lifted her head despite the pain. She moved her right hand in front of her and relaxed her hand on her knees.

Kichona spread her fingers and with it came a crystal-like reiatsu ball. It reflected scenes and images of her time as a human with her sister. They were all seen from Karin's point of view instead of her own. _She can never have these painful memories back. I'm sorry Karin-Chan, I'm trying to protect you._ She closed her palm into a fist, making the reiatsu ball disappear into golden reiatsu particles. _Never._

* * *

 _This girl...who is she. All I can remember from my past life is her face. Kurosaki-Taicho, he's suppose to be my brother from what I remember meeting him in the Shin'o Academy. Hitsugaya-Taicho, he hurt me somehow, but I cannot remember. Yet, these images, they're so vivid and... I know her... I know her..._

Karin was frustrated with herself that she forgot about the battle taking place in front of her. Hitsugaya vs. Nami, she didn't even realize the Espada was even there. Anger flowed through every vein in her body. She wanted to remember, she never wanted or needed to forget. She...needed to remember. She blinked her eyes twice and regained the shine in her eyes.

She finally saw it, a look into reality, "Hitsugaya-Taicho," mumbled to herself with alarm. She looked at the young Espada and instantly realized who she was, "Nami, the fifth Espada, which means the fifth most powerful arrancar," Karin closed her eyes tight, focusing only on Nami's reiatsu. She noted that it was kind and loving. The soul was tainted with the hole deep in her chest.

 _Her name is Narame Nami. She...was a hollow from the very beginning, before she even knew Hitsugaya-Taicho._ The pain and agony Karin felt in Nami's heart scared her deeply. She wanted to stop looking into her soul. She couldn't even breath from the tension in her soul, "Narame Nami!" Karin shouted. Both of Nami and Hitsugaya's eyes landed on her, "Your pain...it is far greater than that of Hankai's, yet, I don't feel sorry for you in the least."

Nami was confused by what Karin addressed her as, "Narame? Is that my name?" she asked Karin. Karin ignored the question and looked at the young girl with disgust. She reviewed the information she gained from her soul again and again, the more Karin did, the more she found Nami repulsive.

Karin strongly walked towards the pink haired hollow with her fist clenched. Her knuckles turned white when she stopped right in front of the girl. Without further ado, she pulled back her fist and punched her on her right cheek. Nami was sent back a few meters but was still on her feet, "You're an idiot! You don't kill people senseless for no damn reason!"

Hitsugaya was shocked by this information and quickly turned to Karin for an explanation, but Karin quickly started explaining, "As a human, you were a ruthless murder! But you was brought here from a senkaimon from a shinigami! There you were quickly made a hollow by Central 46 and threw you to the side," Karin clearly explained. This baffled Hitsugaya, but see what they were capable of doing to a dear friend of his, there may be a way to turn a soul into a hollow without a chain.

Nami looked at her with a serious look, there was a hint of confusing and deep in thought twisted into her look, "I have no idea what you are talking about. I have no memory of my time before Junrinan," Nami explained. This statement intensify Karin's angered look. She was enraged by the fact that she doesn't want to or need to remember the pain Nami caused.

Karin replied, "Is it that you do not remember? Or is it that you do not want to remember?" Karin questioned her, "To not at least remember the lives you took is a dishonor to their deaths. You're not even worth saving," Karin shouted. Fury was burning in her eyes and directed to Nami.

Nami positioned one of her cero guns towards Karin, "Great, because I don't plan on abandoning my atonement anytime soon," she replied before pulling the trigger. The pink cero obliterated anything in it's way. This included scattered bodies, cars, buildings, and every organic or inorganic substance in it's path, also Karin. Hitsugaya rushed to block the blast of the cero from Karin, but it already touched her when he just put the fingertip in the reiatsu.

"Karin!" he called out with despair. He dropped to his knees with utter shock and even a tear in his eye. He still held out his mildly burnt arm as he stared at the blast of pink where his beloved stood right in the way. _I promised to protect her...and I let her die...again. 'Toshiro, no, Hitsugaya-Taicho, I now leave Karin in your capable hands until I see her again. Don't let her die.'_ Hitsugaya remember Kurosaki's trusty words to him before he passed on into the Soul Society. _I couldn't keep my promise at all...to no one. Not to Hinamori nor Karin. I'm-_

"Pierce! Kichona Jikan!" Karin's voice from the cero shouted. There, the pink blast turned into a gold color and paused in thin air. Karin's golden blade slashed through the frozen cero and the reiatsu was eradicated from existence. Karin had that same look in her as her brother. It was determined and stern, yet compassionate and kind. It showed the strength of wanting to protect her friends, "Hitsugaya-Taicho, I apologize for cutting in on your battle, but I'd like to request that we kill this enemy together," she asked.

After Hitsugaya's shock disappeared, a slight smirk appeared upon his face. He stood up from his weak position and stood up with power again. Next thing that happened was he was by Karin's side in fighting stance, "I told you, call me Toshiro," he answered. Nami was annoyed by their loyalty to each other. She lifted up her guns and twirled them on her fingers by the trigger just to mess with them.

Nami sighed with disappointment, "My, my, maybe I should convert into my original form for this battle. Going up against a taicho with a kokai and the purifier is not on my bucket list. Still, I could have some fun with this instead of killing you in one punch," Nami toyed with them. Karin was livid about her arrogant comment and was about to strike first, "Oh, yea, If you want to defeat me, you will probably have to go into bankai" Nami stared at her cero handgun while still twirling it with her index finger.

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes with a 'really' look on, "Since when do we need my bankai to defeat you. You may be fast, but that's all you got. We can counter your cero head on no problem," Hitsugaya glared at her. In the background, he notices Yamada wanting to leave and look for his taicho, but is unsure about leaving or not, "Go, Yamada. We can take care of her. Save your taicho." Yamada nodded and ran off into the direction where Inoue's reiatsu previously was.

Nami placed her hands on her cheeks and rolled, "Oh my god, I'm _sooo_ scared," Nami mocked them with a fake, whining voice. She rolled her eyes as she recalled, "Remember, Katsu-Kun killed the redhead girl and Kelly almost killed you. And guess what, you both used Kokai," Nami's matter of fact attitude was expressed by wiggling her finger through the trigger part of the gun, but her finger didn't pull the trigger at all.

She composed the pistols back in her palm and in less than a second, she pulled both the triggers and sent two pink ceros at the shinigami. Hitsugaya and Karin slashed the ceros away as if it was nothing, "Is that all you got?" they asked in chorus.

Nami smirked at them while blowing the end of the gun barrell, "Oh, just you wait. That was only a warmup," Nami cooed with an arrogant and inferior look. Karin scowled at the young girl.

 _Narame Nami, the hollow. She was once known as Narame Natsuno, killer of the human soul. He was suppose to be executed by Soi Fong-Taicho and the Onmitsukido but, once when they took him down, he split himself into two entities. There, Narame Katsu and Narame Nami was born. They were both hybrids of a hollow and a soul, that's why they didn't have a mask, but they both had hollows in their bodies. They were empty and now, I am determined to fulfill them. Both Nami and Katsu. I will give their existence meaning._

* * *

 _I used to think that what I represent was joy. I used to put smiles on the villager faces when I walked through Junrinan. My laugh would brighten up the faces of those who were sad and I loved my gift. I wouldn't give it up no matter what. I thought even if I were to die, my smile would still exist somewhere inside me and them. I was wrong._

 _No one grieved over me. I was forgotten by the whole Junrinan and my only two friends who were alive couldn't even remember my smile. I was dead and gone and I couldn't do a thing about it. I couldn't stand to be forgotten by everyone. I've even doubt if I am real. If I had a real life and afterlife. If I am a person._

 _Then suddenly, Aizen-Sama asked me, "Do you want to be real?" my immediate answer was yes. I wanted to make my existence real this time. To show I was once just a young girl who lived in a village like every little girl in the Soul Society. I was determined to be real._

 _Then...I was reincarnated._

 _And...I hated it._

 _I was killing innocent hollows, shinigami, and any other creature. It gave me horrored images. A man that look also exactly like me, covered in blood. I trembled at the sight and I was scared. What was worse was that Katsu was turning into this man. He killed ruthlessly and even put a blade to my throat when I wouldn't carry out my orders._

 _I know, when I kill Hitsugaya-Kun, I will be rid of this fear and finally die a peaceful death. Am I wrong?_

* * *

Karin's scowled face turned surprised as she places her eyes on the girl's soul. Her gaze softened with pity. Nami was frightened of something, "Nami...what are you frightened of?" Karin asked with her guard lowered. Nami's eyes narrow with confusion. She thought about her question deeply, "Is it the man? Or is it your brother? Please, you must answer," Karin begged.

Nami still did not know the answer as she replied, "Scared? Why would I be scared. I am powerful. I am real. And once again, I must slaughter, what is there to be afraid of?" she pathetically smile and looked at the ground. She trembled slightly for an instant that only Karin detected.

Karin's expressed added more power and seriousness in it, "I know, you're scared of yourself," Nami stiffens and perk her head to look back at Karin, "Aren't you?" Nami saw it in her eyes. Karin's silver eyes reflect pity and hate.

Nami was mocked by her eyes and anger filled her very being. She used sonido and appeared in front of Karin. She put her pistol to Karin head and placed her index finger on the trigger, ready to fire, "Jikan Monogatari." Karin slashed Nami was Kichona Jikan. Kichona Jikan delayed Nami from pulling the trigger and Karin shunpo'd behind Hitsugaya.

Jikan teisoku modo only lasted for an instant. _Damn, that lasted on the third seat for ten minutes. Is my division just that pathetic?_ Hitsugaya thought in his head. Nami shot a cero at him immediately after Karin retreat. He used Hyorinmaru's special ability and an ice dragon came from his sword to block the blast.

Nami shouted, "I am not afraid of anything! I must atone! If I atone, these feeling and visions will disappear!" anger filled her blood as she pointed both her handguns at her enemies. She pulled the trigger unexpectedly.

Hitsugaya used the same way he blocked the last cero to block this one. Karin, on the other hand, in instinct, she let go of Kichona Jikan and floated in the air. She slashed her finger in the air to encounter Kichona with the cero, "Teishi," she whispered. Reiatsu flew around her as she struggle to keep her barrier up.

"Karin, you okay?" he asked with a bit of concern. He earned a grunt that represented yes as an answer. Still with a bit of doubt, he focuses his power on blocking the cero, even though it's a bit effortless for him. After the cero dies down, Hitsugaya comes out unscaved while Karin came out with a few light burn, but she still stood strong.

Hitsugaya had doubts about letting her fight with her. He might have to go through some power ups, but he was a bit confident he could take Nami out no problem, of course not without any scars or scratches or burns. His thoughts were cut short by another one of Nami's quick attacks. With the help of sonido, she appeared by his side and aimed an overpowering kick at his left side of his rib cage.

He barely blocked her kick but the blade had a slight crack in it from blocking her foot. **_(A/N: I know what you're thinking, I'm recreating Kurosaki-San's lame bankai, but remember_** ** _this is shikai!_** ** _)_** Hyorinmaru growled loudly in his head with pain. Hitsugaya scrunched his eyebrows. _Shit, if she can break Hyorinmaru, she can easily overpower me with physical strength alone. That's embarrassing._ Hitsugaya thought what would happen if his ass was handed to him by a little girl not even using the full extent of her power. _Kurosaki... I REFUSE TO BE DEFEAT!_ he yelled in his head.

"I must know," Nami stated after retreating from her attack on Hitsugaya, "These sins you human souls carry in your hearts...how can you live with them?" Nami then went behind Karin. She struck the back of her neck, causing Karin to be knocked unconscious. Before she even hit the ground, she pulled the trigger of one of her handgun after quickly reloading it.

Without hesitation, Hitsugaya caught her a millisecond before Nami pulled the trigger. He barely dodge the cero by tilting his head to the side, the pink reiatsu burn his white hair and a little bit of his cheek. He shunpo'd farther away from Nami and place Karin in a pile of rubble, "I knew I shouldn't have let her," he mumbled before, again, taking on Nami all by himself. _How many times was Karin knocked out? Why do I even bother?_

"You kill just to carry out your orders and expect nothing in return of becoming murders," she shot both her cero guns at him directly. Hitsugaya used shunpo and disappeared and reappeared next to the side of the cero.

"You are no different. How many humans have you killed today just to get Hinamori, Kurosaki, Karin, and me," Hitsugaya pointed out, "Ryojin Hyohoki," Hitsugaya created a barrier of the ice that covered Karin.

Nami rolled her eyes, "I have a reason. I must carry out Aizen's duties as a punishment for saving you and must until you are dead. Finally, your death means atonement for saving your life when the gods yearned for yours," Nami answered. While using sonido to get closer to Hitsugaya and aimed a punch at his stomach. He dodged the punch by doing a handstand. To get back on his feet, he did a front flip with an addition of kicking Nami's head down.

Nami lifted her head up like it was nothing. _God, how did I get myself into close combat? And I'm not that good in it either, now I wish I was in the second division. Ugh, time to start using kido_ , "Hado no.4: Byakurai," he forced his two finger through the skin below her collarbone, along with the small lightning bolt, he penetrated her upper chest deep and soon retreated to repeat this process in various areas of her body. In a matter of seconds, bloody holes were etched into her skin and red liquid stained both of Hitsugaya's fingers.

To finish his desperate attempt of close combat, he aimed for a kick on the side of her head and mumbled, "Hado no.31: Shakkaho," he released the kido from his foot and it shot directly at the side of her head from point-blank range. Right after the shakkaho from the side, he delivered a powerful kick that broke her neck. Blood covered her white mask as he is forced he do a cartwheel and quickly stiffens his stance when he gets on his feet.

Hitsugaya expected the fight to be over, but Nami grabbed her head hanging off by just her skin. She adjusted her dismembered head back onto her neck. She twisted her bloody head until it was at her liking, the ends of her lush pink hair dripping with cold blood. Finally to finish it off, she rotated her neck until you could heard a _CRACK_ , "Better. Now can we get back to fight and maybe you even answering my question."

Hitsugaya, through this whole thing, had a 'WTF' moment, "D-didn't I-I..." Hitsugaya could even finish his sentence from the disgusting and shocking and maybe even traumatizing way she put her head back on. He signed as a way to control himself and flush out the disturbing images. He opened his eyes opened with sternness and determination.

Without warning, he ran her through with Hyorinmaru. Nami coughs up a bit of blood and the liquid geysers from her stomach. The blood leaks from behind her mask. Her eyes show she is smiling and amusement was evident, "You haven't answer. Why do you human souls accept sins so willingly?" Hitsugaya heard her ask through her arrancar mask.

Hitsugaya looked at his sword that is stained with blood and through her gut, "We kill...because we do get something in return. Killing protects the peace. The peace we strive so hard to earn. We have fought through quincies, hollows, and arrancars like you. We put the remorse for your sacrifice behind us by thinking of the people we have save. We take pride and heroism. Then after accept our sins and beg for forgiveness," Hitsugaya explained with certainty and power.

"Well guess what, hollows have feelings, too. We never chose to be hollows. We never chose to be something different. We never chose to be evil. We have love and depression and heartache. We have people we have sworn to protect and love, but that is all taken away by you shinigami. Your type...took my brother away from me. I took it as a punishment, but I still can't forgive them nor myself. I have carried too many sins in order to gain peace and hoping that one day I will atone. Can I atone? Hitsugaya-Kun," Nami asked desperately. The pain in her voice spoke to Hitsugaya deeply and broke his heart.

Hitsugaya's shoulders drop and pity was reflected in his eyes, "You must truly accept your sins to atone," Hitsugaya advised before pulling the blade from Nami's stomach. She collapsed to the floor without the will to fight.

Nami stared at the blue sky without knowing the true color of the sky, "Accept my sins?" she asked herself. After a few seconds, she started to smile under her mask. Soon, her mask disappeared into reiatsu and her smile was expressed to Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya looked with a shocked face as he stared at Nami's limp body, "Hey, Hitsugaya-Kun," she mumbled soundlessly. Hitsugaya caught this and lowered to look at Nami's smiling face, "The sky...it's really pretty..." she whispered. A tear was visible in her eye as she smiled at the sunlight. Eyes narrowed and lungs begging for laugh, she tremble with powerlessness, but she was smiling. Her smile expressed no pain, it had pure happiness.

 _I am Narame Nami. The sweetheart of Junrinan and this is my final chapter._

"…Goodbye…Narame." 


	18. Feelings of the Old You

_Hello, I'm Hankai and I will taking over the intros for this this story. (Heyya, aren't you suppose to be dead?) *disappears into reishi* DISCLAIMER:_

 _ **I do**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **own bleach!**_

 _BTW, No one dies exactly in this chapter! Though half of this chapter is for Katsu._

* * *

"Dammit, Nami," Katsu growled out loud. He doesn't feel his sister anymore. Not her reiatsu, that flame went out a long time ago, but her presence is gone, "She's...dead," Katsu slightly felt remorse for his sister's dead. It wasn't expressed on his face, but somewhere deep inside he was sadden.

Hinamori, knowing the situation completely, narrowed her eyes with remorse and advised, "We must retreat. The two of us can not take out two taicho and three fukutaicho all by ourselves," Katsu silently agreed with a nod and disappear with a _SWOOSH_. Hinamori followed his actions by using sonido to appear at the garganta. Hinamori placed both of her fingers on her temple and closed her eyes shut, "Listen shinigami!" she shouted. Her voice was amplified by a type of kido she was using.

"As you probably already know, I, Hinamori Momo, have betrayed you lowly shinigami in order to join Aizen-Sama with my true power as an Espada. I and Katsu-Kun, Espada 3, will retreat for now but we will be back," Hinamori declared before her and Katsu disappeared into the black abyss of the empty garganta with Katsu leading the way.

He created a flat white path that seemed almost as perfect as he led himself out to be. _Kelly..._ A picture of Kelly appeared in his mind. _Nami..._ A flashing image of Nami appears. _The two people I loved most in my afterlife are dead. And I ordered one of them to be killed._ Katsu flashes a pathetic look at the black area of reishi. His rare facial expression was short lived with his usual emotionless face taking charge again. _Some liar I am..._

* * *

"BASTARDS!" yelled out Yamada. His eyes lays upon the almost lifeless body of Inoue. Blood stained the gray cement from the arrows found in her chest. Inoue's gray eyes are wide open with fear and shock without the shine. Blood was continuously running from her mouth with it wide open from probably screaming with pain. Blood footprints were found on her haori and covered the character shi on her her back. Yamada was outraged by the disrespect Inoue receive in her defeat.

 _I can't heal her wound quickly enough. If only I would stop time for a few minutes then... Wait! Stop time! I need Kurosaki-Fukutaicho!_ Yamada thought in his head. He turned his head to where he left Hitsugaya and Karin. He felt for Karin's reiatsu desperately. After finding out she has been taken out of the battle, he squints his face with frustration and anger. _I must save Orihime-Sama's life._ He turned his attention back to Inoue, "If only I stayed with her, then I could have protected her. I should have never left my taicho's side."

He takes Hisagomaru and forces it into the ground and let the reishi attack out from healing Karin's wound earlier, "I have to at least try," Hisagomaru transformed back into it's unreleased form and Yamada slices Inoue with his zanpakuto, turning it back into its shikai state.

"Orihime-Sama has a B blood type, but I have an A blood type. If I use my blood to replenish hers, she will be poisoned afterwards. Rukia-Taicho has a B blood type, but..." Yamada discarded that solution since they were stuck in the living world, "It's extremely difficult, but if I could rush the flow of reishi in her body, then her blood cells will more quickly restore the blood she lost."

Yamada focused his reiatsu at the end of his fingertips and hesitantly looked at Inoue's cold soul, "If this doesn't work, then I might die," he cowardly mumbled to himself. After, he shook off the idea, "Why do I care if I die? Orihime-Sama taught me all my fighting skills and ability to use kido well. She stayed by my side even though I was a coward and helped me make myself into the man I am today. I shouldn't be hesitating, I should be proud to risk my life for hers," he jabbed his index and middle fingers where her heart was. He blushed at how inappropriate for him to be sticking his fingers in between his taicho's cleavage, even though he had the purest intentions in mind.

He forced his reiatsu into her heart's internal reiatsu. He felt a weakening in his body, but forced through the faint fatigue and continued to push his reiatsu into her. When he finally reached her internal reiatsu, he could feel the nature of herself. It was warming and kind. It had the purest and most honest heart Yamada had ever felt.

It soothed the weakness and struggle in his body like a healing kido. _To think that Orihime-Taicho is so kind that even the touch of her reiatsu heals._ Yamada thought warmly in his head. After getting over the pure hearted reiatsu, he charged his reiatsu even more. He combined healing kido with his reiatsu and put more pressure on the reishi. He feels that half of his reiatsu is drained from his body and can't naturally replenish itself quick enough.

Yamada forces his reiatsu to combine with hers to accelerate the healing process. The redness fell back into her cheeks in result of the blood moving faster through her veins. Her silvery eyes sparkle with a glint of life before blinking twice to process what was happening, "Ori...hime...Sama," Yamada weakly sighed in relief before collapsing onto Inoue's lap and falling unconscious. Inoue was confused why Yamada collapse and why his fingers were jammed between her cleavage, but ignored that and went to Yamada's aid.

Inoue's hands were positioned defensively and eyes pointing to her collapsed fukutaicho, "H-Hanataro-Kun," she stuttered with a red face fused with confusion. She grabs him by his shoulder and hoist him up to see he was limp and unconscious, yet there was a small smile on her face, "I barely sense any reiatsu from him. Wait, how am I alive?" Inoue asked herself and examined herself with Yamada lifted up.

Inoue lied him on the ground, arms straight and chest barely lifting up as a sign of slight breathing, "I see now. You accelerated my healing with the risk of your life." Inoue mumbled to herself while backing away and standing up, "Soten Kisshun," she chanted, "I reject," the orange reiatsu covered Yamada's body with a warm glow ejected from the healing barrier, "Thank you."

* * *

"Taicho!" called Matsumoto from afar. Kurosaki turned his head to look at the bubbly voice yelling _TAICHO_ through the whole town, "Did you hear Momo's announcement?" Matsumoto's playfulness left her voice and the only thing that was felt was worry and disbelief, "I-it isn't true... Is it?"

Kurosaki grunted and turned his head back to what he was facing. He looked at the ground with a look of betrayal, "I can't believe it either. Maybe that's why she asked to trade divisions," Kurosaki clenched his fist and anger flowed through his veins. After a while, he relaxed his hands and sighed deeply, "We can't worry about that right now. What's weird about all this is that they didn't send any deceased taicho." Kurosaki analyzed the situation.

Kurosaki's statement interested Matsumoto. She stopped herself from her almost bursting into tears, "What do you mean, Taicho?" she asked. Her face was red and confused while asking her question.

Unfortunately, Kurosaki didn't answer her question, "Come Rangiku-San, I have something I need to check out," he strongly commanded and shunped to a specific area. Matsumoto was startled by his sudden disappearance and hesitantly and confusingly shunpoed after him.

Matsumoto was right behind him when she ask, "Where are we going, Taicho? We still have to perform konso on those souls," Matsumoto asked, but had a pretty good idea of where he was going.

The continued to shunpo to their destination as Kurosaki replied, "I'll leave that job to Toshiro and Karin, I have a hunch that Yuzu, Jin, and Yuki are with Jinta somehow and Urahara has some answers for me," Matsumoto was right. Urahara's shop was just a few blocks from where they were.

Once there, Kurosaki busted into the shop to see Tessai and Ururu cleaning up something. Ururu looked about the same age as Yuzu. She wore her hair in a long black ponytail with sideswept bangs. She still had those adorable, big, blue eyes. She was a bit taller than Yuzu and had on a light green dress that reach a bit below her mid thigh. Tessai, on the out hand, looked exactly the same, no crazy hairdo or anything.

Anyway, "Where's Urahara-San?" he bluntly asked. Not even a 'hi' or anything. That pretty much verified for them that it was Kurosaki. Ururu pointed in the back of the shop and Kurosaki stomped back there without a word. Tessai was used to it that he didn't even bother to correct him on his manners.

Matsumoto walked to Ururu and Tessai and bowed, "Sorry for Kurosaki-Taicho's lack of manners," after, she sped walked to Kurosaki's side and started scolding him on his lack edicate, "Kurosaki-Taicho, you can't just walk into someone's shop and not even greet them with a nice stare or something," Matsumoto wiggled her index finger with a type of authority to prove her point.

Kurosaki rolled his eyes and replied, "My manners are perfect, I just don't use them. Instead of talking about me, what about yourself or that taicho of yours?" Kurosaki crossed his arms over his chest with a stubborn look, "I pretty sure that a face of boobs isn't a proper or appropriate way to greet someone, nor is just ignoring someone and walking through everyone like you're on top."

Matsumoto puffed her cheek as a sign she was annoyed, "At least my manners have more positivity, but I guessing that's pass what your intellect can process," she mumbled under her breath, but purposely, loud enough for Kurosaki to hear.

A pissed mark appeared on his forehead before yelling, "I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I can process and think stuff out easily!" Matsumoto looked at him with a look that said _'prove it'_. He gritted his teeth and stared at the ceiling as he tried to think of something, "Umm..uh.. Well, there was this...thing. No...um," he continued to stutter. He finally gave up and look Matsumoto in the eye with the same look, "I don't have to prove anything to you."

Matsumoto sighed with disappointment, "Hitsugaya-Kun could answer that instantly, it seems a child is more smarter than you. I feel bad for Karin-Chan," Matsumoto exhaled another breath before walking ahead of a dumbfounded Kurosaki. _I finally got my taicho! This month is going to be fun!_ Matsumoto said in her mind with a walk of victory.

* * *

"Goodbye...Narame," Hitsugaya whispered with sadness and grief. Narame's words stuck deeply with him. _'Well guess what, hollows have feelings, too. We never chose to be hollows. We never chose to be something different. We never chose to be evil. We have love and depression and heartache. We have people we have sworn to protect and love, but that is all taken away by you shinigami'_. These word continued to haunt him as he watches the young girl disappear into dust and fly away. Her smile was true and filled with happiness to die.

Just then, as her smile was going to disappear before his eyes, vivid pink flowers that are caught in the wind pass by. The land next to Narame's half body and are in the picture of a smiling face. With two of the flowers as the eyes and four of them as the mouth. Narame opened her mouth to speak, but nothing was heard from his ears. No sound was made mouth. Hitsugaya, longing to hear the small girl's voice one more time before she disappears, widened his eyes.

When Narame closes her mouth, she burst into blue reishi and carried by the wind and so did the flowers. A fog of sparkling blue reishi crowded him. He could feel the sadness in the reiatsu immediately before it was carried by the wind. He stood up with a faked pride. He took a look over to Karin, who was still passed out. And in her hand was the same flower that crowded Narame as she died. This one was a different color, though, it was a pale lavender color. It was the opposite of the vibrant flower that represented Narame.

Just then, a voice appeared in his head. _Listen shinigami!_ shouted the voice. Hitsugaya immediately recognized it has Hinamori's voice. _As you probably already know, I, Hinamori Momo, have betrayed you lowly shinigami in order to join Aizen-Sama with my true power as an Espada. I and Katsu-Kun, Espada 3, will retreat for now but we will be back,_ the voice disappeared from his head.

Hitsugaya clenched Hyorinmaru in his hand and gritted his teeth. _So it's truth, Hinamori._ He thought with anger. _I didn't save you, did I? You still are in Aizen's hand and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. Hinamori, can you hear me? The guilt in my voice? I sound pathetic don't I?_ His attention turned to Karin. He picked her up bridal style in his arms. _She's barely breathing. I need to get her to Inoue._

* * *

In Hueco Mundo:

"We are sorry, Aizen-Sama," Momo apologized, "We have failed in our mission to kill or capture Hitsugaya Toshiro and take care of Kurosaki Ichigo and Kurosaki Karin. Kelly was defeated by Kurosaki Karin, the Purifier. She purified Kelly's soul and we were forced to kill her. Nami was defeated and killed by Hitsugaya Toshiro. Yet, Inoue Orihime was defeated by Katsu," she reported.

Aizen's face showed amusement with a small smile plastered across his face. Katsu and Momo bow with a fearful, but with sturdiness, "Stand up straight. I have no need to be angry over the death of two weaklings," Aizen commanded. A slight rage started to build up inside Katsu as he stood to his feet. He looked at Aizen with a bit of shock. _He is...smiling._

The rage in Katsu's stomach burn a bit brighter, "With all do respect sir, shouldn't you show a bit of remorse for the sacrifices that were given today?" Katsu asked subconsciously. Katsu cursed his big mouth and hoped that he would be punished for his statement, "I'm sorry, Aizen-Sama, it was foolish of me to open my mouth and ask you a question like that, please forgive my rudeness."

Aizen's face lit up with more glee as he gazes upon his confused and enraged subordinate, "No, no, Katsu. Allow me to answer your question," Aizen commanded more than asked. And without permission, he dove into his answer, "Kelly and Nami are worthless to me if they can't stay alive through a small invasion like that. You Espada are suppose to be stronger than that of a captain in the Gotei 13. Yet, Nami was defeated by a captain and worst, Kelly was defeated by a vice captain. They now have no place here."

Katsu snapped at the answer he was given, "But Aizen-Sama, they gave their lives to serve you. Like you said when we were resurrected, we are only alive to serve you and you would treat us with respect. Yet, you are talking down about my sister and my friend like they are dogs," Katsu continued. He was lucky Tosen was dead, or he would of had a few body parts on the other side of the room, including his head.

Aizen raised his eyebrow to his underly taking back and questioning his answer, "You agreed to be my dogs on the day you walked over the afterlife. You, only wanting to die and get this life over with, believed the only way to die is with dignity and honor. Nami, wanting to prove to herself that she was a real girl in the Soul Society at a point and even had a human life. Kelly, begging for the pain to stop and die in peace. Hakara, yearning-" Aizen was cut off by Katsu.

Rage was fuming in Katsu's glare and being fueled by Aizen's word, "That's enough, I know the reasons why we agreed to follow you. Yet, what I'm saying is that you have no damn right to talk down about them after all the blood that's on their hands because of you. Kelly cried and fainted because of you did to Hitsugaya and Momo and all of us. Nami focused on killing no matter how much it filled that memory of the old us killing innocent humans. You have to at least respect that!" Katsu yelled while pointing his finger at Aizen.

He relaxed his muscles and dropped his hand before turning towards the door and starting to walk out as he said, "I will still follow you until the day I die, just respect a death more and I will respect you, Aizen-Sama," he stuffed his hands into his pockets and the door opened itself and he left into the abyss of the Los Noches hallways.

Momo, who was shocked by Katsu's anger towards Aizen, finally regained her senses and dropped of the ground as she begged, "Please Aizen-Sama, please spare his life. I know he didn't mean it, he's just a little shaken up by the death of his sister and best friend. I beg of you-" Aizen raised his hand Momo shut her mouth. Sweat poured down her face, scared of what Aizen was going to do next.

"Momo, there is no need to beg on his behalf," Aizen informed while putting his hand under his chin and staring at the open grand french doors that is the entrance to the throne room, "He interest me. A little back talk will not give me a reason to kill him, but if he does betrays me or shows a sign of weakness, he will cease to talk back to me anymore," Aizen warned with that same amused smile.

"Thank you, Aizen-Sama."

* * *

 _"Katsu-Kun," Kelly called with a sad aura. Katsu turned around to see her. She noticed his surprised expression that flashed for a second, "You didn't notice me, did you Katsu-Kun? You're losing your touch," she pathetically chuckled._

 _Katsu said nothing and looked back at the emptiness of Hueco Mundo. The desert of nothing with no real value. It expresses nothing and only sadden the Espada and arrancar that was stationed at the palace. Kelly's thoughts on the scenery was interrupted by Katsu's unexplainable voice and tone, "Why are you crying?" he asked bluntly._

 _Kelly was shocked by his examination upon herself. She touched her face to feel the wet, salty warmth of tears, "How are you able to know I'm crying when I don't?" she asked him with a calm and emotional voice._

 _Katsu chuckled, "You are just that easy to read..." Kelly gasped slightly in her mouth, but was soon replaced by a pathetic smile. She walked to Katsu and swung her legs over the ledge of the palace and stared at the grey sky with him, "There must be some reason for you to come talk to me like this, what is it?"_

 _Kelly sighed deeply at Katsu's suspicions and glanced at him for a moment to see if he's wearing his serious face, "Is there any reason for an Espada to talk to another Espada?" Kelly chuckled, after glancing at Katsu's emotionless face. She didn't receive any reply, yet she continued talking, "Katsu-Kun..., as I gaze upon your face, I see something that seems...pitiful."_

 _Katsu shifted his eyes to the green haired girl and raised an eyebrow, "Pitiful?" he immediately answered without thinking. Kelly locked her gaze with Katsu's. Kelly's eyes reflected pity and sympathy, he hated it. Katsu rolled his eyes and looked at whatever was in the opposite direction of her stare, "I need no pity, especially from_ you _. If anyone needs pity it's you. Your eyes expose your pain-"_

 _"But your pain is greater," Kelly cut in, "That emotionless face makes your gestures obvious. The way you_ clench _your fist. The_ _way you_ strain _your muscles. The way you act so distant. There are other doors than just the eyes, you know," Kelly informed before turning to the dull desert that surrounded Los Noches._

 _There was a moment of silence before Katsu started to reply to Kelly's observations, "I don't do those things because it pains me to kill, hurt, or even live in general. I do those things because, right after, I reject the things I've done and ran away from them. I've almost killed my sister deliberately more times than I can count on my fingers. I've put down and hurt all of my allies, including you, yet you_ all _stick by me. I have regretted all of my deeds, all my evil deeds," Katsu clenched his fist absentmindedly. After a second or two before he relaxed his hands and just stared at the sand._

 _Kelly chuckled again, "It's pretty cliche, at least for the evil side. You are regretting everything you have done and I am in pain for just becoming the embody of evil, itself... Your aspect of death is regret, right Katsu-Kun?" Kelly said sadly._

 _"Hn."_

 _"I guess Aizen-Sama chose an accurate aspect of death for the both of us. It's sad really, we are as mobile as a grain of sand. Only the wind and allow it to move and that's what happens mentally and physically," she blabbered with her pathetic face that she was famous for making. Kelly looked down at the stone she was sitting on, "I'm sorry, I'm rambling too much," she apologized, "I'll get out of your hair," she slide her body off the brick, planing to plummet to the bottom of the palace._

Please, don't leave... _Katsu thought while staring at her small tan hand. When she was at the edge of the brick, Katsu slid his hand into her and gripped strongly on her hand, "No..." Kelly looked at him with a surprised look. The look soon softened to, what looked to Katsu, a slight happy face. It warmed his heart a degrees, "Let's get a drink...it's not like everyday we get time to talk to each other like this." Katsu made an excuse at the top of his mind._

 _Kelly saw right through his little act, "Also, there was something I was suppose to tell you," she kept that face as the moon lit up behind her with a gray and dull sky as her background. Katsu thought that she was a fallen angel for a moment._

 _His softened face changed back to his neutral face, "Shouldn't you have told me that before calling me pitiful," Katsu rolled his eyes, trying to avoid her enchanting gaze. Kelly looked up at whatever was at the corner of her right eye with a 'serious' face like she was thinking._

 _Kelly shook her head, "Nope" she said, popping the 'p'. "Aizen-Sama didn't say anything about telling you immediately," Katsu rolled his eyes again, this time, showing he was not fond of this childish side, "He said tomorrow, you, Nami-Chan, and me are going to invade the human world. He has got Hitsugaya-Kun, Kurosaki Ichigo, Inoue Orihime, and Momo stuck in the human world. We're also supposed to finally retrieve Momo. There is only one problem, Kurosaki Karin is there, too. If she has just tapped into her power as the purifier, she could purge us all. That's why our fracción are staying behind. Any questions?" Kelly spoke really fast._

 _Katsu had a lot of questions, yet he just opened his mouth and nothing came out, not sure what to ask first. Kelly takes his silence as a no, "Great, now about that drink," Kelly gripped Katsu's hand tightly with sinister smirk._

 _Katsu knew what she was thinking about clearly, "We are_ not _jumping off the ledge," he stated clearly and with a lot of authority. Kelly puffed her cheek to pout. She mumbled a few curses under her breath while dragging Katsu the proper way to the bar that Aizen surprisingly had time to put in the Los Noches Castle.  
_  
Now I understand why my old self felt so much for this mere girl.

* * *

"Remember, this is my punishment from God," Katsu repeated again and again as he walked back to his room in the palace, "No, taking away the two most important people to me isn't a divine punishment... It's an endless hell," Katsu exhaled a breath through his nose and chuckled a bit, "God, you wish for me to die, don't you? Well, my chapter isn't over yet," he growl with determination and honor as he slammed his room door shut, having the urge to kill on his fingertips. _  
_


	19. Announcement: My Schedule til June

Hello this is just a schedule for me to follow and you to know. I'll try really hard to follow this and update on time but I make no promises. Also, I won't be updating until the 26th because I want to write a few chapter for each story so I'll be able to publish chapters even when I have writer's block.

Week one (February 26th, 2017 - March 4th, 2017):publish of new fanfic called Another Crime and Daw

Week 2: That Smile Hurts and Forgive My Lies

Week 3: Another Crime and Daw

Week 4: That Smile Hurts and Forgive My Lies

You get the rest.

April: Most likely will not be updating because of state testing and exams. (And Attack on Titan season 2 ;) ) Also I might have surgery in April.

Beginning of June(Probably After Forgive My Lies end if I stick to the schedule. I'm only making it twelve or thirteen chapters.): Start rewriting and updating ICE.

I changed Forgive My Lies with Another Crime because this week (first week) I've been having problems with my leg blah blah blah and I didn't have the time to finish writing the chapter for Forgive My Lies.

This is what I plan for now. I'll update this schedule when I have a change of plans.


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